I never liked Art in High School
by Richefic
Summary: Just after Richie moves into the store Duncan learns a few things about the teenager that he didn't already know. Now Complete..
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer. I don't own them. Just a thought. Not cannon or anything. 

"Admit it. You didn't expect her to be so young." Duncan smiled.

"Well, when Richie said his old foster mother was coming over I expected someone _older." Tessa admitted. "I can't believe her eldest daughter is eighteen."_

"I guess she married young." Duncan. "Richie said she has two other daughters besides Maria."

"Um. Guys." Richie appeared in the doorway. "Teresa has to get going now."

"You are welcome to stay longer." Tessa offered.

"Oh. No thank you." Teresa smiled. "The girls are at their Aunt's and I don't want to be too late in picking them up."

"Let me show you out." Duncan offered.

"You know." Teresa smiled. "I never could have imagined Richie working in a place like this."

 "I never liked Art in High School." Richie explained.

"Name one subject you did like." Duncan chuckled.

"Biology." Richie grinned.

Duncan rolled his eyes. "Somehow I knew that."

"You knew Richie in High School?" Teresa frowned.

"No. He knew Richie after he had dropped outta High School because of demented Art teachers and the like." Richie answered.

"So how old were you when you first met Duncan?" Teresa enquired.

"Its only been a few weeks." Richie evaded her question.

Duncan frowned.

_____________________________________________________________________

He was waiting for Richie when he returned from seeing Teresa home. 

"Teresa get home safely?"

Richie stopped dead at his casual tone and Duncan bit back a grin. Now he knew something was up and Richie knew that he knew. This could be interesting.

"Yeah. Um. I'm really tired. I think I'll turn in." Richie turned as if to head towards his room.

"Sure. Just answer me one question first?"

Richie turned back, his hands spread wide. "Maac. Teresa's like my Mom. There's nothing going on there."

Duncan had to give him points for deflection. The lad was good.

"Not that. When we met. It wasn't until tonight that I realised that I've never asked you how old you are. Powell led me to believe that you were 17."

"Yeah. Right." Richie nodded, a little too enthusiastically. "Night Mac."

"Hold on. Right that you are 17 or right that I was led to believe it?" Duncan demanded.

"Uh huh." Richie agreed. "See you in the morning.

Duncan made a mental note never to introduce Richie to Amanda.

"Richie. Are you or are you not 17?" Duncan demanded.

"Yes." Richie protested. "Geez Mac how many more times?"

Or Fitzcairn.

"Richard Ryan. On ye honour are ye seventeen years old?" Duncan demanded, leaving no room for doubt.

"Um. Kinda." Richie offered.

Duncan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean – kinda?"

"Well my ID says I am 21." Richie shrugged. "What? You think Immortals are the only people who know how to fake documents?"

"You mean you aren't 17?" Duncan asked.

"Everyone is 17 once Mac. Even you." Richie risked a grin.

"Richie." Duncan growled.

"Alright." Richie waved a placating hand. "I wasn't_ technically_ 17 when Powell arrested me OK?"

 "How old were you – _technically."_

"I don't know." Richie shrugged. "Well I don't!" he protested at Duncan's disbelieving glare. "Its not as if anyone knows exactly when my birthday is or anything."

"It was the 1970's Richie. Not the Dark Ages." Duncan pointed out. "People kept records."

"Look I wanted out. OK?"

 "Out of what?" Duncan frowned.

"You know. The system." Richie waved a hand. 

"You forged your records?" Duncan could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"I just changed a few figures." Richie protested. "No biggie."

"Richie. You were a minor. There are laws about minors."

"So once I'm not a minor everything is cool." Richie shrugged.

"Richie. What were you thinking? At 18 you could go to Jail!"

"Yeah well. It was a risk worth taking." Richie shot back bitterly. "At 18 you are also a free agent."

 "How old?" Duncan demanded.

"Does it really matter? Your driving license says you are 34 but we both know its just a piece of paper to keep the powers that be happy."

Duncan sighed. He'd already learnt the hard way that when he set his mind to it Richie gave new meaning to the concept of stubborn. He decided to change tactics.

 "How did you do it?" he asked casually.

"I skipped a grade in Junior High." Richie shrugged. After a while it was easy to convince people that _they'd made the mistake. It wasn't like anyone ever actually expected me to be good at anything."_

"You told me you were bright." Duncan felt absurdly proud.

Richie smiled. "That was a good year. I thought .." he shook his head. "Stupid." He rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve.

"What happened?" Duncan asked gently.

"New social worker." Richie looked away. "There was just me, Teresa, her Mom and her two sisters. The new lady figured I needed a male role model. So I had to move." He finished bitterly.

"I'm sorry." Duncan's voice was warm with sympathy. "That must have been hard."

"You think?" Richie scoffed. "Not nearly as hard as when Mr Male Role Model decided .." he stopped

"Rich?"

"Doesn't matter." Richie turned away.

Duncan stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Richie. It matters. If you want to talk .."

"Yeah." Richie gave him a shaky smile. "Thanks Mac. But I really am tired. I think I'll just go to bed now."

"OK." Duncan nodded. "This is pretty late for a sixteen year old to be up on a school night anyway." 

"Aw hell." Richie slapped his hand against his forehead when he realised what he had done. "I'll be seventeen in two weeks OK?"

"Uh huh." Duncan nodded. "You could just have told me you know."

Richie suddenly looked wary. "Do I still have a job?"

"Yes Richie. You still have a job." Duncan reassured him.

"Good." Richie turned around. Then stopped.

"You're not going to do anything are you?"

"Such as?" Duncan asked.

"With you Mac I have no idea." Richie admitted wearily. "Just anything. You know it's a lot less hassle for you if I'm 18. No social workers or paperwork to bother with."

"Maybe you are worth the bother." Duncan smiled.

"Mac." Richie said warily. "What are you thinking?"

"Go to bed Rich." Duncan reached out and ruffled his hair "We'll talk about it in the morning." He turned towards his own room.

 "You're not like going to make me go back to school or anything are you?" Richie called after him.

"We'll talk about it." Duncan called back over his shoulder.

"That's a yes." Richie muttered. "Damn. Damn. Think Ryan there has to be an upside to this." Then he grinned. "Hey Mac. Does this mean I get an allowance?"


	2. Chapter Two

AN – I really wasn't going to update this, mostly because the first piece just popped into my head as a little ficlet and I hadn't really thought about anything past that exchange between Duncan and Richie. Then I thought of a way I could take it in another direction.

***

Richie rubbed his eyes as he wandered into the kitchen. "Morning Tessa." he greeted the Frenchwoman, as he reached up to get a bowl from the cupboard.

"Good morning Richie." Tessa looked him up and down and clicked her tongue. 

"What?" Richie spread his arms.

"It won't do." Tessa sniffed. "It is far from good enough."

"Well, I can go change if you like, but you bought me this shirt." Richie pointed out.

"Not your clothes." Tessa rolled her eyes as if such a topic had never occurred to her before, rather than being the cause of heated debate in recent weeks. "Those people. You are so thin, and pale, and not so tall."

"You know. You're not doing a lot for my ego here." Richie complained.

"How could they not see that you are just a boy?" Tessa demanded.

"Ah." Richie winced. "Mac told you."

"Yes. Duncan told me." Tessa replied, taking the bowl out of his hands "I cannot imagine why you would do such a foolish thing Richie. You know what would happen if you were caught and tried as an adult."

"Um. Tess." Richie gestured to the bowl that she was putting back in the cupboard. "I was going to have cereal."

"I will make you a proper breakfast." Tessa decided. "You should not be eating that stuff, it is nothing but sugar."

"Okaay." Richie raised a brow. "Can I at least have some coffee whilst I'm waiting?"

Tessa frowned as she reached out the eggs. "Caffeine is really not so good for you, you know. Why don't you have some juice instead?"

"Neither are cigarettes. But you smoke them." Richie leant on the counter.

Tessa shook her head. "That's different. I'm trying to give up and besides, I'm .."

"Older than me?" Richie crossed his arms. "I was old enough to have coffee yesterday. Today, .. I'm a day older."

Tessa looked up at him. "I'm being ridiculous aren't I?" she smiled.

"Actually." Richie smiled back. "I think its kind of nice. Just so long as you've stopped now. You have stopped now right?"

"Well." Tessa's eyes twinkled, "Why don't you put on the coffee and I'll make us all a nice breakfast?"

"That's a deal." Richie grinned. "Pancakes?" he asked hopefully.

"With blueberries."

****

"You want to do what?" Richie hastily swallowed his mouthful of pancake.

"Tessa and I talked about it last night and we decided we wanted to register as your foster parents." Duncan repeated.

"We will go to the judge and we will sign the papers and make it all legal." Tessa smiled.

"But you guys would have to be married." Richie pointed out.

"Not necessarily." Duncan shrugged. "When its an older child, or some one who has .. had trouble settling .. in the past. They are generally more flexible."

"Besides, we have a very good lawyer." Tessa put in.

"You know the paperwork alone takes forever." Richie shook his head. "I'd probably be 18 before they got it all sorted out."

"I've had a little practise with paperwork." Duncan smiled. "I'm sure it won't be a problem."

"You think?" Richie scowled. "You have no idea how much of it there is. You would have to build a whole new room onto this place just to have somewhere to put it all."

"Maybe we could put in another bathroom at the same time." Tessa suggested.

"Another one?" Duncan rolled his eyes. "We already have three."

"The shower in the living room doesn't count." She paused. "Except on very special occasions."

"Um. If you guys want to .. you know .. we can continue this some other time." Richie started to stand up.

"Sit down Rich." Duncan laughed. "I'm sure we can contain ourselves for a few minutes."

"Yes. Surely we are not that bad." Tessa added.

"Do you want my honest opinion?" Richie quirked a brow.

"No!" Tessa and Duncan chorused.

"Seriously Richie." Duncan got back to the topic in hand. "Its not so different to what we were going to do before. You living here and working in the store. Except you could get your motorcycle license, maybe take your GED."

"I could do all those things anyway. You could just make me the papers." Richie looked at Duncan.

"But this way it would be legal."

"And no one will be able to take you away from us." Tessa added softly.

"You couldn't do it." Richie shook his head. "It would be too dangerous."

"I don't know." Duncan teased. "You've only broken one vase so far and we can always up the insurance."

"Not for me. For you. They come to the house." Richie waved his fork. "What if someone like Slan drops in unannounced?"

"Things aren't usually that dramatic." Duncan sighed. "Most challengers will agree a less public time and place. Its not really in anyone's best interest to attract attention."

"Exactly." Richie nodded. "You'd have to answer this whole barrage of questions, about your favourite childhood games and stuff. I don't think playing hunt the Haggis is going to cut it, do you?"

"You do know that a Haggis isn't a real creature don't you?" Duncan quirked a brow.

Richie scowled.

"Just checking." Duncan smirked.

"It isn't?" Tessa frowned.

"Nope." Duncan started to nibble on her ear.

"And they send people round to check up on you without warning." Richie cut in. "What if you were .. otherwise engaged?"

"Not in the middle of the day." Tessa objected loftily.

"Well. Not very often anyway." Duncan amended with a grin. "Relax Richie. Whatever the problems are we will sort them out together. As a family."

"That is what you want, isn't it?" Tessa enquired gently.

Richie looked down at his plate.

"Rich?" Duncan sat up a bit straighter. "Hey. C'mon Tough Guy. Say something."

"No." Richie said quietly. "I don't want you to do this. Please .. just .. don't. OK?"

TBC!


	3. Chapter Three

AN – This is for all those people who asked me to continue the story. I hope you like it. Duncan and Tessa have slightly different agendas about how to take care of Richie.

French notes – n'est pas? – aren't we? Tout sera bien – All will be well.

***

"I don't understand." Tessa scrubbed hard at the counter. "Why would he not want to do this?"

"Maybe he's afraid." Duncan murmured.

"Richie is not afraid of you." Tessa shook her head. 

"Not of me." Frankly Duncan would have preferred Richie to be a little_ more_ awe stuck around Immortals. It might keep him out of trouble.

"Duncan Macleod. My cooking is not that bad."

"Of being part of a family."

"It is no more than those people should have given him." Tessa scrubbed harder. "He is just a boy."

"He's been on his own for a long time Tess. It's a big adjustment for him."

"He is already living here." Tessa pointed out.

"As our employee." Duncan reminded her. "Our eighteen year old employee. Not our sixteen year old foster child."

"We are the same people n'est pas?." Tessa shrugged as only as a Frenchwoman could.

"Uh huh." Duncan was non committal.

"He can live in the same room and work in the store .. on Saturdays .. just as we agreed."

"On _Saturdays_?" Duncan raised a brow.

"See." Tessa smiled. "Tout sera bien."

"Sure." Duncan waited.

 "Of course, I would not choose for him to dress in such things. They are old and torn and will not be nearly warm enough when the cold weather comes."

"That's why you don't like his clothes?" Duncan gave her a knowing glance. "You think he'll be cold?"

"And the colours .." Tessa winced. Then threw up her hands. "I am an artist. God did not make such colours to go together."

"Yes. Well." Duncan sighed. "I don't think he has many clothes."

"Really?" Tessa looked pleased.

"Tess. You can't expect him to spend all _his _money, that _he's _ worked for .. on clothes that _you_ like."

"What teenager doesn't like presents?" Tessa smiled. "It will be worth it. He will be .. what did he call it? .. a _chick magnet."_

"That's another thing." Duncan tipped his head on one side. "What if he wanted to bring a girl home to stay?"

"But he is too young!" Tessa looked shocked.

"Tess. He has lived on the streets on and off since he was fourteen. I doubt that there are many things that he hasn't experienced."

"Does he know what it is to be loved?" Tessa challenged. "If he will look for it in the arms of strangers?"

"Tessa. He is sixteen. Not six. He has the right to make his own choices."

"This is what you will say the next time he gets arrested?" Tessa scoffed.

"OK." Duncan allowed. "Maybe not _all _his own choices. But he is not a child."

"At sixteen did your father treat you as a man? Allow you a man's freedoms?"

"Indeed he didna." Duncan winced at the very idea. "But Richie hasn't had the advantages we took for granted sweetheart. He's had to fend for himself. He's earnt the right to make a few mistakes."

"Just so long as he appreciates the consequences." Tessa observed loftily.

"I think it would be pretty hard to ground someone who can pick locks." Duncan chuckled.

"Next you will be teaching him to fight with swords!" Tessa threw up her hands. "This is the 20th Century Duncan. There is more to raising a child than teaching him to sit a horse and hold his ale!"

"That doesn't mean he has to learn everything at once." Duncan protested. "This is not his world Tess. You can't just put him in some expensive clothes and expect him to appreciate Art and listen to Opera. He needs to be introduced to these things gradually."

"And this is why you offered him a job and a home?" Tessa arched a brow. "Because you are _not trying to change him?"_

"Its no the same." Duncan protested. "I'm giving him the chance to make his own choices."

"You think he will choose to go to school?" Tessa shook her head.

"They have girls in High School." Duncan pointed out. "Cute girls in short skirts."

"Are you know this because ..?" Tessa narrowed her eyes.

"I've watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Duncan said innocently.

"Oh you." Tessa rolled her eyes. "He is still young enough to need some guidance."

"So we guide." Duncan wrapped his arms around her. "We just don't expect too much right away."

"You think I am expecting too much?" Tessa looked concerned.

"I think Richie has been in too many different foster homes and its never worked out. I don't want to push him out onto the streets again because he thinks that he isn't the right sort of kid for us."

"You think that is what he is afraid of?" Tessa frowned. "That we cannot love him because he doesn't like Art or Opera?"

"Maybe." Duncan allowed.

"But that is ridiculous." Tessa protested. "How can he think such a thing?"

"Experience?" Duncan suggested. "Too many places where he didn't fit in."

"I just want  us to be a normal family." Tessa sighed.

"Tessa, you're French, I'm Immortal and our bouncing baby boy is 120 pounds. I think normal is a little out of our league." Duncan nuzzled her hair.

"Then we will have to invent a new type of family." Tessa decided. "I will make a sculpture. You, me and Richie. Then he will see how he fits into our lives."

She kissed him soundly and turned purposefully towards her workshop.

"Now all I have to do is convince Richie." Duncan sighed.


	4. Chapter Four

AN – For a little ficlet I wasn't going to update this story is beginning to take on a life of its own! Thanks mostly to all those reviewers wanting more teenage Richie! There are parts of what's coming that some of you may recognise from a couple of bits I posted before and took down because I wasn't entirely happy with where they were going – it is hard to write a good "how did Richie end up living with Duncan and Tessa" story when there are so many excellent versions out there – but there are still a few issues around "The Gathering" that I just think need to be addressed!

I've used ***  and italics for the flash backs and +++ and normal type for the flash backs within flash backs – let me know if that is too confusing and I'll try and think of anther format!

Did I mention that I suddenly think this is going to get rather longer? Hope that's OK!

***

Duncan knew that he would have to plan his campaign carefully. He'd already discovered that just asking Richie why he didn't want to do something was a route to chaos and confusion. The trick was to get the teenager to come to him.

And he had the perfect weapon.

The T-Bird.

Of course, Richie might prefer access to his Katana, but that was out of the question. He didn't want the lad attracting any more attention from rouge Immortals than he did already. This was the next best thing.

True enough, it only took about fifteen minutes of peering aimlessly into the engine, and moving tools around, for the teenager to appear, leaning on the door jam.

A single, covert, glance at the boy's pale, pinched, anxious, face, was enough to steel Duncan's resolve. He would heal. Richie might not.

But it still hurt.

"Geez Mac!" Richie was beside him in an instant, pressing down on the wound. "Are you OK?"

"I will be." Duncan assured him, gritting his teeth against the pain.

The blue light arched, circling around Richie's hand and his own, before the wound began to heal.

"If your fingers fall off, do you make new ones?" Richie asked curiously as he let go.

"I've never had to find out." Duncan admitted. "I think you probably have to open up the wound and stick the old ones back on again"

"That's disgusting." Richie protested.

"You asked." Duncan shrugged.

"You could have made something up."

Duncan looked at him over the engine. "I will never lie to you Richie. I might tell you to mind your own business, but I will not lie to you."

"Never?" Richie quirked a brow.

"I told you I was Immortal didn't I?" Duncan smiled.

"Eventually." Richie protested sourly. "Not at first."

"You didn't exactly make the most trustworthy first impression." Duncan pointed out.

***

_Duncan Macleod put down the phone and stared at it for a moment as if it, not the sudden arrival of Slan Quince and his dramatic re-entry into the Game, was the source of all his problems._

_"Trouble?" Conner asked mildly._

_"That was the Police. The boy, the one you told me to let go by the way, got himself arrested."_

_"Given the alternatives he probably figured he was better off in jail."_

_"He wasn't too scared to have $2000 worth of my jewellery in his pocket." __Duncan__ scowled. "Its no funny Conner."_

_"You have to admit the lad acquitted himself well __Duncan_. I've never seen anyone try to talk their way out of a beheading before." Conner chortled.__

_"I thought he was Slan!" __Duncan__ defended himself._

_"And you didn't notice that he had one of your swords in his hand?" Conner rolled his glass between his fingers. "Head hunters usually bring their own swords __Duncan__. Its not polite to expect your host to supply one."_

_"I was thinking about Tessa."_

_"I'm sure you were." Conner smirked._

_"Not like that." __Duncan__ glared at him. "Well, our light fingered thief can stew on things until morning. Maybe a night in the cells will do him some good."_

_"At least he'll get a good breakfast."_

_"Don't start Conner." __Duncan__ frowned. "I refuse to feel sorry for anyone who is bright enough to bypass my security system and help himself to a large proportion of my stock. Frankly he seems to be doing pretty well for himself." _

_"I think you need a better security system." Conner sipped his drink. His lips quirked. "Maybe you could ask the boy to help you choose one."_

_"Maybe I could do as the Police ask and press charges." __Duncan__ retorted._

_Conner shook his head. "You aren't going to do that."_

_"No. But I am going to scare the living daylights out of him." __Duncan__ glowered._

_"Oh yes. That's a plan." Conner nodded. "He's bound to trust you after that."_

_"And the next person that he tries to rob might just shoot him!"_

_"You were the one who threatened to take his head." Conner pointed out._

_"Yeah. Well." __Duncan__ sighed. "Now I'm trying to keep it where it is."_

_Conner smiled._

_"Don't look at me like that." __Duncan__ scowled. "He's not my concern."_

_"We'll see." Conner murmured._

***

"You didn't like me much did you?" Richie said quietly.

"I didn't like having my home invaded." Duncan told him. "I didn't know you."

"That didn't stop you yelling at me." Richie rubbed his blood stained hand on his jeans. "At the police station."

"You scared me." Duncan admitted.

"Excuse me?" Richie blinked. "I scared_ you? You were the one waving the sword."_

"And what you were doing was going to get you killed." Duncan pointed out.

"Hey. I've been pulling jobs since I was fourteen." Richie protested. "I don't usually get caught."

"Not the thieving." Duncan shook his head. "You'd seen too much. You knew too much. And you had no idea that trying to talk your way out of a petty larcenary charge, with tall tales of swordfights, might just buy you a one way ticket to the morgue."

***

_"I scared him Conner." __Duncan__ admitted unhappily. "I just wanted to be certain he knew that this wasn't some game. God knows he's vulnerable enough without mouthing off about sword fights. If Saul realises how much he saw .. I .. Well I came down harder on him that I meant to. He acted like he thought I was going to hit him."_

_"So you scared the lad a little. Maybe he'll be more cautious in future." Conner offered. "He'll certainly live longer that way."_

_"It wasn't that he flinched." __Duncan__ realised. "It was that he recovered so quickly. One minute he was shrinking away from me, the next he clearly thought I was soft in the head for not pressing charges and he wasn't afraid to let me know it."_

_"Maybe he realised that you were one of the good guys." Conner looked up from his paper. "What did he say?"_

_ He said "Who'd I tell?" __Duncan__ scowled._

_Conner laughed.  "So what did you do?"_

_"I counted to ten. Very slowly. In Russian." __Duncan_ remembered.__

+++

 "Can I go now?" The lad was doing his best to look bored. "Things to do. Places to be."

"People to rob?" Duncan put in smoothly.

"Hey, I don't rob people." Richie had protested.

"Then what were we? Duncan demanded.

"I robbed the Store." Richie pointed out. "You weren't supposed to be there."

"That's not the point."

"That's exactly the point. You have insurance don't you?.

+++

_"He said that?" Conner looked surprised._

_"I'm not saying he's Robin Hood." __Duncan__ admitted. "But he's not out mugging little old ladies either."_

_"And I suppose he is going to pay you for the window?" Conner shook his head._

_"Well. He wasn't very pleased about it .." __Duncan_ grinned. "But .."__

+++

 "So are you gonna let me go now?" Richie asked.

"In a minute. " Duncan smiled.

"Aw man. The window." Richie realised.

"You offered to pay for it." Duncan reminded him.

"Well I just figured you would throw that in as part of the deal." Richie cocked his head.

"Think again."

"I think I'd have been better off in Juvie." Richie sighed. "Alright. How much?"

Duncan estimated the cost and halved it. "$50."

"I'll need a couple of days."

 "No stealing." Duncan warned.

"Of course not." Richie assured him blithely. "Hey. You need some parts for that T-Bird? I do that too."

"No stealing." Duncan repeated firmly. "Promise me."

"Whatever." Richie sighed. "I'll just ask my rich Uncle to lend me the money."

+++

_"He has a point." Conner noted. "How is he supposed to get the money?"_

_"I offered him a job." __Duncan__ smiled. "He should be here in about 20 minutes."_

***

"So, if all you were worried about was me mouthing off about Immortals." Richie demanded. "Why did you offer me the job? It wasn't like you  couldn't afford to pay for the window."

"Like I said. You offered. I wanted to see if you would keep your word."

"It was a _trick_?"

"It was a test." Duncan admitted. "And you passed by the way."

"Yeah. But I nearly died doing it." Richie pointed out.

"You couldn't have just told me you were sick?" Duncan pointed out reasonably.

"No." Richie shook his head firmly.

"Rich?" Duncan frowned. "Why not?"

"Because." Richie said, as if that was an answer.


	5. Chapter Five

AN – OK busted by Southern Chickie, now I'm filling in plot holes for the Gathering _and filling out the back story for the Quickeing at the same time! Shameless self promotion! Many thanks for all the reviews, I'm glad I wasn't the only person laughing madly to myself as I wrote that line Mys and thanks especially to Shady Lady, – I'm honoured! _

Um. Yeah. Much longer. Much.

***

Suddenly Duncan realised he might have stumbled onto something without realising it. That was the trouble with planning your campaign in unfamiliar territory. You just didn't know where the minefields were.

"Does the reason you didn't want to tell us you were sick have anything to do with why you don't want us to foster you?" Duncan asked.

"No." Richie looked at the floor.

Duncan stilled. For all his other talents Richie wasn't a very good liar. Oh, he could lead you a merry dance with his quick wit and his fast talk, but ask him a direct question and he was far more likely to clam up than tell you a bald faced lie. This must be serious.

"You sure about that?" Duncan asked, taking care to keep his tone light.

"Absolutely. Positively." Richie babbled.  "They are two entirely, separate, different things."

"If you say so."

"You think I'm lying to you?" Richie challenged.

"No." Duncan said mildly.

"Oh. Well. Good." Richie looked a little non plussed.

"I know you are lying to me." Duncan pointed out.

 "Look, I can tell you to mind your own business, or I can lie to you. Its your choice." Richie threw up his hands.

"I'd rather than you just trusted me." Duncan spoke quietly.

"I want to .." Richie ran his hands through his hair. "I do .. really .. Its just .. its hard .. you know."

"Yeah." Duncan squeezed his shoulder. "I know." He turned towards the door.

Richie looked up. "That's it? No thumbscrews? Sleep deprivation? Medieval water torture?"

"Rich, if you don't want to tell me. You don't have to." Duncan said walking away.

"Argh." Richie said. "C'mon Mac. Not the guilt thing. You know I can't do the guilt thing."

"So tell me." Duncan encouraged.

"Why?" Richie demanded. "Why does it matter you so much? Look, it was a nice idea and all .. but why can't we just go on as we are? Please?"

"Because before I thought you were eighteen." Duncan pointed out reasonably. "Now I don't."

"Aw, c'mon Mac. You're over 400 years old. What's a teensey little year? Its nothing. A drop in the ocean."

"It's the difference between you being an adult and you not being an adult."

"You told me that when you were a kid, guys could get married when they were fourteen." Richie protested.

"Yeah and you could drink beer and be hung for stealing as well – none of which made you an adult by the way."

"What about about Tessa?" Richie tried. "I'm mean she's got her career and all. She won't want to give that up. They expect foster parents to stay home and bake and stuff."

"C'mon Richie. You tried that already. She wants this – she wants _you – at least as much as I do. I think you know that already. And she works from home a lot of the time anyway .. and" he winced. "We can always buy cake."_

"Alright." Richie said with quiet resignation.

"You'll agree?" Duncan felt a sudden, unexpected, warmth, flare in his chest.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." Richie shrugged.

"Ach Richie." Duncan put his hand on the teenager's shoulder and on an impulse, gently pulled the lad into a hug. Richie could be a little skittish about any signs of affection, especially from him. Duncan and Tessa had discussed it. It wasn't as if he was afraid of it, more than he wasn't used to it and not sure how to react.  To his surprise, Richie hugged him back fiercely, as if he would never let go. "Easy." Duncan stroked his hair. "Everything's going to be OK."

He wasn't overly concerned when Richie suddenly pushed away from him and raced out of the room. He figured the lad was probably a little embarrassed about his uncharacteristic display of affection. Duncan smiled. That was OK. They had time to work on that. Plenty of time.

Then he wondered why he was still standing here, rather than going to tell Tessa the good news.

Something wasn't right.

"I'm going to kill him." He vowed.

He knew what was amiss. Richie hadn't looked at him.

***

Sure enough Richie was packing. Throwing his few belongings into his single black holdall with absolutely no regard for how carefully Tessa had washed and ironed them. Duncan took a breath. He knew he had to handle this with calm and understanding.

"What the _hell _are you doing?" he yelled.

"What does it look like?" Richie shot back. "I'm leaving."

"Over my dead body." Duncan threatened.

"That can be arranged." Richie advised him. "Just don't bother looking for me when you wake up. Because I'm outta here."

"You think its that easy?" Duncan demanded. "You breeze into our lives, into our hearts, and – just because things aren't working out as you planned, - you take off and we just get on with our lives?"

"Pretty much. Yeah." Richie looked around to see if he had left anything.

"Think again." Duncan growled.

"Alright." Richie looked at him and Duncan was struck by the pain and anger in his eyes. "If you're so concerned about my welfare. How come you didn't notice this before?"

"What?"

"You heard me." Richie's eyes flashed. "I've been in nine different foster homes since I changed my records and none of them cared enough about me to read my damn records well enough to realise that something might be wrong. You can't pretend you are any different. You would never have known if I hadn't been dumb enough to bring Teresa over here." 

"Richie. I … You think I've seen your foster records?" Duncan was brought up short.

"No." Richie's hard narrow gaze mocked him. "I know you've seen them."

"Those records are confidential." Duncan pointed out.

"Oh please. You can fake your own death and make yourself your own grandson, but you won't peek in a few files?"

"Richie. On my honour. I haven't looked at your files."

"What? You want me to believe that you let me move in here … with _Tessa_ … without at least checking that I wasn't a homicidal maniac?" Richie shook his head. "No one is that trusting."

"I didn't." Duncan assured him. Then his face twisted. "Conner did."

***

_"You did what?"_

_I checked his foster records." Conner repeated. "You really need to learn how to use a computer Duncan."_

_"Those records are confidential."_

_"I have contacts. Do you want to hear this or not?"_

_"Not probably." Without asking __Duncan__ went to pour them both a drink. "I think its fairly obvious that he's not the son of some Seacouver millionaire."_

_"As far as I can tell he's not anyone's son." Conner frowned. "There's several addresses here, but none of them are current."_

_"Maybe you don't know how to use a Computer as well as you think you do." __Duncan__ smirked. "He lives over on __Westlake__."_

_"Really?"__ Conner raised a brow._

_"Yes really." __Duncan__ insisted. "What? You think I just let him walk out of the Police Station into the Sunset?"_

_"You followed him."_

_"Yes. I followed him. I thought we might want to know where to find him again?"_

_"Did you see him go into the house?"_

_"Yes. I saw him go into the house Conner." __Duncan_ sighed at his teacher. __

_"By the window or the door."__ Conner smiled thinly._

_"By the door, of course, I'm not a complete idiot."_

_"Of course not."__ Conner soothed. "But .. you don't spend a great deal of time with teenagers either."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?" __Duncan__ stopped. "Oh no."_

_"You didn't see anyone else at home and we know he can pick locks." Conner finished for him._

_"He knew he was being followed." __Duncan__ realised. "This is just great. So what do we know?"_

_"Not much." Conner admitted. "According to this he hasn't lived in full time foster care since he was fifteen."_

_"What! These people had a responsibility to take care of him. What are earth are they thinking?"_

_"They've tried." Conner flicked through a few papers. "Every now and then he gets picked up, but it never works out."_

_"Maybe they didn't try hard enough." __Duncan__ said firmly._

***

"What about the rest?" Richie's voice was tight.

"Richie. I swear, I haven't looked at your Police file, your Hospital records, your birth certificate, or anything else for that matter. I hoped .. that if there were things that you wanted me to know .. that over time you'd trust me enough to tell me yourself. That's how relationships usually work."

"Not my relationships." Riche commented sourly. "Mine always come with a warning label. Instant problem kid. Just add water."

"And you like to live down to people's expectations?"

"It doesn't seem to matter what_ I do." Richie shrugged. "Once people think you're bad news .. I just wanted you guys to be different."_

"You think we're not different?" Duncan couldn't resist.

Richie gave him a brief, fleeing, smile. "I didn't mean it like that."

"What did you mean?" Tessa asked gently.

"Tess!" Richie jumped. "How much .. I mean .. how long .."

"Not so long." Tessa soothed. "What did you mean Richie?"

"When people become parents they .. go all weird." Richie complained.

"Define weird." Duncan said.

"They start worrying about your clothes and you grades and what you eat or don't eat, who you hang out with, what music you play, .. the list is endless. I've looked after myself for the last two years. I don't want  _parents__ anymore."_

"But maybe you need them." Tessa murmured in French.

Duncan patted her arm softly.

"But you're still young enough to need .." he paused, trying to think of a term Richie would accept. "A mentor, someone to help you make your own choices."

"So ment." Richie agreed. "Just don't foster me."

"Why not?" Duncan wanted to know. "Why does that make such a difference?"

"It never works." Richie warned.

"Never is a long time." Duncan observed.

"You should know." Richie shrugged.

"What Duncan means is just because it hasn't worked before does not mean it will not this time." Tessa agreed.

"No." Richie shook his head. "I'm not doing this. No way. Narda. Never. So either you guys think of something else. Or I walk."


	6. Chapter Six

AN – Apparently there was originally a character in The Gathering who paid Richie to follow Duncan and Conner, but who got cut out before the episode aired – I always wondered why he would have such an unhealthy interest in sword wielding maniacs – so this is my take on that!

To everyone – thanks for the reviews. It means a lot that people are actually reading this and it is a great incentive to update (hint!). To Spike's Girl and Shady Lady, - like Mac's going to let Richie just walk outta there! To Southern Chickie – teasing a bit more but real story soon I promise! To Frek – again, much longer, much.

Usual French bits –  Certainement pas! - Certainly not! Bien sur – Of course. N'est pas? In this context .. weren't you?

***

"What have we done?" Tessa worried.

"Shh. Sweetheart. It'll be fine." Duncan soothed, wrapping his arms around her.

"How can you say that? He does not want this. He does not want us. We are pushing him away like all those other people."

"He's just a little upset right now." Duncan allowed. "My guess is he doesn't want us to see him as nothing more than a file on someone's desk. Lord knows. I wouldn't want my entire life documented for strangers to read."

"Why?" Tessa smiled. "Do you have so many secrets?"

"Well. Let's see .." Duncan nuzzled her neck. "Would you like the ladies at the Art Society to know that you and I .. " he whispered in ear.

"Duncan!" she pushed him away, laughing. "Certainement pas!"

"Richie, hasn't had that luxury Tess, its only natural that he feels a little .. awkward about what we might find out about him."

"Awkward?" Tessa spluttered. "He wants to run away. To live God knows where .. with no one to take care of him .. and you call this awkward?"

"Tessa, do you trust me?"

"Bien sur." She replied instantly. "You must ask this?"

"Then don't worry." He smiled. "Richie's ours now and he's not going to get away from us so easily."

"How can it be?" Tessa wondered. "It has only been a few, short, weeks. Yet I feel as if he has always been with us. Like he belongs here."

"He does have a way with him, doesn't he?" Duncan mused fondly.

"He has you wrapped around his little finger." Tessa smiled.

"He does no!" Duncan objected.

"Oh. So he has always done just as you tell him ..?" Tessa shook her head.

"Not even close." Duncan sighed.

***

_Conner walked across the warehouse to pick up a rag to wipe his sword. Then he paused._

_ "Did I hear you tell the boy to go home?"_

_"Uh huh."__Duncan__ glanced up. "I'm no slave driver Conner. I don't intend to work him to death. Lord knows he's thin enough .."_

_Before he could finish the sentence the distinctive buzz of a pre-immortal washed over him._

_"It seems our little thief has a little trouble following orders." Conner smirked._

_"Don't start." __Duncan__ glared. He strode over to where the boy was hiding. "You can come out now."_

_"How did you know I was here?" Richie protested._

_Duncan__ ignored that. "I thought I told you to go home? I know I told you not to follow us."_

_ "Yeah. Well. I came to warn you." Richie gave a cocky grin._

_"Warn us?" Conner arched a brow._

_"There's this Lady Reporter sniffing about. Turns out she has seen the police report on the other night. You know. She tracked me down. She wanted me to follow you guys. Find the real story."_

_"And what kind of incentive did she offer you for this service?" Conner asked._

_"$100  now and $100 when I go back to her with the information."_

_"You gave your word." __Duncan__ reminded him._

_"Hey. I haven't said anything." Richie protested._

_"But you took the $100." Conner guessed._

_"Hey if she wants to give her money away."__ Richie shrugged. "I never promised her anything."_

_"So long as you don't expect us to give you the other $100."__ Conner smiled thinly._

_"Or think you can stop working for me." __Duncan__ added. "We have an agreement."_

_"Hell no."__ Richie held up his hands. "Its all part of the service."_

_"But .." __Duncan__ prodded._

_"But I did have to come all the way back across  town to find you guys. Then you weren't at the Store. It has taken me nearly all afternoon to find you". That has to be worth something." Richie gave what he hoped was a winning smile._

_"You think?" __Duncan__ hid a smile as he caught Conner's eye. The kid was good._

_"You could teach me how to use a sword." Richie hinted._

_"Not a chance." __Duncan__ bit back a grin. This one would be a joy to teach._

_"Aw come on Mac." Richie protested._

_"Its worth a sandwich." __Duncan__ decided, leading the way out to the T-Bird._

_"Mac?"__ Conner muttered. "What kind of a name is Mac?"_

***

"Mac?" Richie's voice was soft, hesitant. As if he was unsure of his welcome.

"Hey Rich." Duncan smiled warmly at him. 

"You're not mad at me?" Richie looked confused.

"You think I should be?" Duncan asked.

"Yes. _No_. I don't know." Richie came to perch on the desk. "Look, I don't want to seem ungrateful or anything .."

"You don't." Duncan assured him

"Ookay.." Richie said warily. "So .. what happens now?"

"Today now?" Duncan smiled. "How about lunch?"

"Lunch?" Richie nearly fell backwards off the desk in surprise. "First you guys .. then I .. then we .. and you want to talk about lunch?"

"No. I want to eat lunch." Duncan pointed out, standing up. "and I want you to help me cook."

"Oh. I get it." Richie slid reluctantly off the desk. "KP duty."

"Richie. I'm not punishing you." Duncan told him. "I just thought .. it would be nice to do something together. I .. look about before .. I shouldn't have yelled ..I didn't mean to .. "

"Is that an apology?" Richie looked like he wasn't quite sure.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. OK?" Duncan made a face at him and tousled his hair.

"Well, that's a first." Richie shook his head, a slight smile on his face. "Its usually me doing all the apologising."

"Really?" Duncan smiled.

"Yeah. Whatever." Richie grinned. "So what are we going to cook?"

"I dunno." Duncan shrugged. "What can you cook?"

"Do you have any fresh tomatoes?" 

*** 

"Richie that was wonderful." Tessa put down her knife and fork. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"Teresa taught me." Richie looked bashful. "She said anyone who ate as much as I did needed to learn how to cook."

"And it's a great way to attract the ladies." Duncan put in.

"That too." Richie grinned, with a blush.

Tessa reached over the table and covered Richie's hand with her own.

"You were very happy there? N'est pas?"

"Yeah." Richie smiled softly. "Teresa was great. She just treated me like one of the family, and Maria was like having an actual sister, you know?"

"I know." Tessa smiled.

"How long were you there?" Duncan gathered up his and Tessa's plates, trying not to look too interested.

"Um. Real long time." Richie popped his own plate into the sink. "Almost a whole year."

Duncan and Tessa exchanged a glance over his head.

"What happened?" Tessa asked softly.

"Doesn't matter." Richie scrubbed a little too hard at his plate.

"Richie. It matters." Duncan came to stand beside him.

"No. Look, why are you so interested anyway?" Richie's voice rose. "Its ancient history." He slammed the plate into the drainer so hard that a crack blossomed across the fine porcelain. 

"Oh man." Richie looked up at them in dismay. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to .."

"That's alright." Tessa soothed. "Sometimes when we are upset we all say and do things that we do not mean ..."

"Oh, he meant it alright." Richie muttered darkly.

Tessa looked up at Duncan, her face full of concern.

"Meant what Rich?" Duncan asked calmly, keeping his tone carefully neutral.

"That Richie Ryan wasn't the type of kid that any father could ever be proud of." Richie spat.


	7. Chapter Seven

AN – What can I say .. I like the cliffhangers! (Should I duck now?)

If its any consolation I'm pretty much on a roll with this now and I'm planning to finish the whole thing by the weekend. And Rai - You think you're being tortured? Be glad you're not Richie! I have evil things in mind for him.

***

"What did you say?" Duncan's voice came out as a low growl.

Richie went completely still and closed his eyes.

"Please tell me I didn't just say that out loud." He breathed.

"Oh Richie." Tessa's voice was full of sympathy.

Richie swore so fluently that Duncan blinked. He hadn't even known Richie could speak Polish.

It was the only warning he got. And it wasn't enough.

Richie fled.

"Duncan!" Tessa was frantic. "Go after him."

Inexplicably Duncan gave a sudden, brilliant, smile.

Tessa fought the urge to slap him. "Duncan Macleod, this is not funny!"

"Don't worry sweetheart." He kissed her heartily. "He hasn't gone far."

***

If Duncan hadn't known better he might have thought that he was mistaken. From this angle the roof looked empty.

He knew better.

Richie was sitting on the ledge, with his legs dangling over into nothingness, with a careless confidence that demonstrated no particular regard for his own safety. 

Duncan Macleod grimaced. Just because he was Immortal didn't mean he had to _like_ heights.

Still, he supposed it wouldn't kill him.

As he slid in beside Richie he noticed with surprise that the lad looked like he had been crying. But the swift hand that rubbed at red eyes, and the tense posture, indicated that this was not a subject for discussion. Not yet anyway, Duncan amended.

"I think I saw somebody do that once." He said casually.

"What?" Richie wouldn't look at him.

Duncan told him. In Polish.

"Oh." Richie blushed. "I shoulda figured you'd speak Polish. What other languages do you speak?"

"Richie." Duncan rolled his eyes. "Don't change the subject."

"Hey. You started it." Richie pointed out.

"I can sit here longer than you can." Duncan pointed out. "Much longer."

"Please don't make me tell you." Richie's voice was tight.

"I don't want to _make_ you do anything." Duncan sighed. "I just want to help."

"Then stop poking around inside my head." Richie told him.

"And that will make it all go away?" Duncan raised a brow.

"Mac .. please.." Richie took a shuddering breath. "I just ..can't do this alright?"

"Can't or won't?" Duncan asked calmly.

"You think its that easy?" Richie shook his head.

"Richie. Trust is never easy." Duncan met his eyes.

**

_"Show me." Richie challenged, producing a Swiss Army Knife from his pocket._

_Even in these circumstances __Duncan__ couldn't help but grin. "You don't seem like the camping type."_

_"It has a lock pick." Richie told him. "Are you gonna show me or not?"_

_"With that?"__Duncan__ showed his disdain._

_"Hey, I don't want you using some trick knife or something." Richie pointed out._

_Duncan__ paused. And picked up the Katana._

_"Hey. Chill man. It was just a joke." Richie protested._

_Wordlessly __Duncan__ turned the blade and offered it to Richie, hilt first._

_"I can touch it?" Richie looked awed._

_"Go for it." __Duncan__ smiled._

_Even using both hands Richie had to shift his feet a little to accommodate the unexpected weight. Yet he made a good attempt at holding it correctly, with the point down._

_"Where did you learn that?" __Duncan__ was impressed._

_"Television."__ Richie grinned._

_"And people say its not educational." __Duncan__ smiled._

_He fought the urge to correct the lad's stance. Seeing all too easily how well Richie would respond to instruction. He had the natural grace and balance of a born swordsman. The rest Duncan could teach. But not today._

_"Test the blade." He suggested mildly._

_Richie__ flashed him a knowing look. "Um. No thanks. I've seen what it can do."_

_"Then watch."_

_Duncan__ retrieved the sword and sliced deftly across his palm. Even as the dark blood trickled down his arm, the blue light flashed and the wound began to close._

_"Oh man."_

_Before __Duncan__ could stop him Richie reached out and touched the arching blue light, causing the Quickening to spiral up his arm and throw him backwards so that his head hit the wall with a sickening thud._

_"Richie!" Duncan dropped to his knees beside the teen, reaching out to check the damage._

_"Don't!" instinctively Richie flinched back as if from a blow._

_Duncan__ swallowed hard. He knew Richie was leery of being touched, but to have the lad recoil from him, cut him to the quick._

_"Easy." he soothed, swallowing his bile with difficultly. "I just want to look. Okay?" _

_He was profoundly relieved when Richie permitted him to gently part the blonde curls and inspect the growing lump._

_"How many fingers am I holding up?"_

_"Blue." Richie's lips quirked slightly._

_"How many?"__Duncan__ insisted trying not to smile._

_"Maac."__ Richie protested, pushing his hand aside. "I'm okay. Talk about a light show." He shook his head ruefully, then winced._

_"You weren't supposed to touch it." Absently __Duncan_ rubbed the lump beneath the blonde curls.__

_"You never said that." Richie protested softly._

_"I didn't think I had to." Duncan him gave an exasperated smile, shifting slightly so he was sitting shoulder to shoulder with the lad._

_"So.__ How old are you?" Richie asked quietly, as if he expected to be told to mind his own business._

_"About 400."__Duncan__ shrugged._

_"Four Hundred?"__ Richie squeaked. "You're snowing me. Right?"_

_"You seem to me like a good judge of character." __Duncan_ arched a brow. "What do you think?"__

_"I think you are 100% serious." Richie sighed. "And I've just entered the twilight zone."_

_"Not __America__'s funniest home movies?" __Duncan__ teased._

_"No." Richie smiled. "This would never pass the censor."_

***

"Aw c'mom Mac." Richie protested. "That's not fair. I trust you."

"Yeah." Duncan acknowledged. "You trust me not to chop your head off .." he shrugged. "You just don't trust me enough to tell me the truth."

"I trust you more than any other guy I've ever met." Richie said, stung.

The admission hung in the silence between then.

Duncan waited.

"You're not going to let this go are you?" Richie sighed.

"What do you think?" Duncan teased gently.

"I think you'd probably bug me until I'm 100." Richie sighed.

Duncan took that as an opening. "What's been so wrong with all the other guys you've met?"

"I just don't really do foster fathers." Richie admitted reluctantly. He looked out at some distant point on the horizon. "I mean .. when  I was small .. my Dad .. my real Dad wasn't around much. I don't really remember him. Then in the Orphanages it was nuns mostly. There were some places where the guy maybe worked real long hours. Others pretty much left the kids to their wife, so long as you didn't stand in front of the TV they didn't much notice you."

"Didn't any of them ever spend time with you?" Duncan inquired.

"Oh sure." Richie forced a smile. "Did you know I've been up the Harbour Centre Tower 32 times?"

"I didn't mean a couple of hours on weekends. I meant enough to get to know you?"

"To be fair I moved around so much .." Richie shrugged. "I guess it was never really worth it."

Duncan bit back the observation that Richie clearly thought that he wasn't really worth it.

"Then what?" he nudged.

"Then when I was twelve I landed up with Teresa and her family." Richie smiled, genuinely this time. "They were so great. I don't think I'd ever been so happy since .." he swallowed hard.

"She seems like a good person." Duncan observed gently.

"Oh yeah." Richie nodded. "She like changed my life .. I stopped getting into trouble at School, my grades went up .. I got taller .. I tried out for Basketball for the first time .. man that was such a rush .. I just felt like that I belonged there. You know?"

"So what happened?"

"Would you believe she decided to adopt me?" Richie said bitterly.

"What?" Duncan wasn't sure he had heard right.

"Uh huh." Richie nodded. "Got all the papers, went to the Court. Wanted to make us a real family."

"It fell through." Duncan realised.

"Yep." Richie bit off. "New Social Worker. She'd known me for all of three weeks and she decided that I'd do better in a home with a stronger male influence. The Court went with her recommendation and next thing you know .. I'm outta there."

"Richie." Duncan put a hand on his shoulder. "That won't happen this time. I give you my word. I won't let it happen. We'll go to the Court and the only thing that _will happen is that you will become a legal member of this family."_

"You still don't get it, do you Mac?" Richie looked up at him. "That's what I'm most afraid of."


	8. Chapter Eight

AN – Thanks to everyone for all the e-mails and reviews. Quick Frek, take a breath, and to everyone else, Richie is afraid of _soo many things. (laughs evilly) _

French – Mon Dieu! My God!

***

"If you register me as a foster child you think I'll be your kid. Right?" Richie challenged.

 "Right." Duncan affirmed.

"Wrong." Richie corrected. "I'll be a ward of the State. That means they call the shots."

"Look Rich, I know you think that .."

"Mac. I don't think that. I know." Richie ran a hand through his hair.  "Been there. Done that. It doesn't matter what it is. Maybe they don't think I'll grow up to be an all American boy because you are Scottish and Tessa is French. Maybe your hair is too long or they don't like the earring. Whatever. Hell, most of  the time they don't even need a real reason. One teeny tiny thing goes wrong and I'm outta here and there won't be a damn thing either of us can do about it."

"I can do normal." Duncan shrugged. "I'll take the earring out."

"Mac you listen to Opera and have an unhealthy interest in nice shiny swords. Trust me. Those things are not normal."

"They were when I was a kid." Duncan told him.

"My point exactly."

 "Rich. Why did you agree to move in with us?" 

"C'mon Mac." Richie looked away. "You saw the place that I was living in."

"Uh huh." Duncan allowed.

"What?" Richie demanded.

 "Well. I was brought up with no electricity and no hot water." Duncan shrugged.

"It wasn't exactly a lifestyle choice." Richie shot back.

"Wasn't it?" Duncan challenged. "You could have lived in any number of foster homes. Instead you chose to move onto the streets. You didn't move in here because we had MTV and central heating. You moved in here because you liked us."

"So sue me." Richie shifted slightly with embarrassment. "Look if you're making some deep profound point here .. I gotta tell you I'm missing it."

 "Rich you bicker with Tess about your clothes, you borrow the T-Bird every chance you get, you leave your dirty socks behind the couch and eat all the food in the refrigerator, .. "

"I come back early and walk into the living room to find you and Tess .." Richie smirked.

"Thanks for reminding me." Duncan scowled at him. "My point is we are already a family."

"You .." Richie swallowed. "Mac, you offered me a home and a job, and believe me I'm grateful, but you didn't sign up for this. You thought I was almost eighteen."

"I thought you were a bloody idiot." Duncan reminded him.

***

_"His fever is getting higher." __Duncan__ worried, as he leant on the desk._

_"And he still  won't tell you what ails him?" Conner asked, without looking up from his book._

_"He says it's a head cold."_

_"He's been favouring his right arm." Conner observed._

_"I know." __Duncan__ sighed. "This is my fault."_

_Conner sighed. Much as he loved __Duncan__ he never understood why the man always had to think that everything that went wrong on the Universe was his fault._

_"How exactly is this your fault? You only just met the boy."_

_"I was the one who insisted that he pay for the window. He's not well enough to work."_

_"And now you have him here, where it is warm and dry, and your Tessa is stuffing him full of sweetmeats." Conner looked up. "Would you rather have him freezing in some gutter?"_

_"I suppose not." __Duncan__ shook his head. "I just wish he'd trust me enough to tell me the truth."_

_"Don't be too hard on the lad Duncan. He's a right to be cautious."_

_"You know something don't you?" __Duncan__ realised._

_"He's .. had a hard time of it." Conner admitted. "He'll tell you himself, when he's ready."_

_"If he lives that long."__Duncan__ muttered._

_***_

"If Conner had read stuff about me in my foster records why didn't he just tell you?" Richie asked quietly.

"Because I didn't ask? Besides, Conner would never betray your confidence like that." 

"He doesn't even know me. I mean, not really."

"You'd be surprised." Duncan smiled. "You make quite a first impression."

Richie wasn't exactly sure how to take that.

"What's a sweetmeat?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Hey. I'm just curious."

"You certainly are." Duncan bit back a smile. "Positively strange if you ask me .."

"Maaac." Richie whined. "Get on with it OK?"

***

_"Oh, of all the stubborn, pig-headed, .." Tessa fumed as she strode into the office._

_"Um.__ Let me guess." __Duncan__ caught her by the waist and swung her onto his lap. "Richie?"_

_"Of course, Richie.__ Dr Saunders was here to pick up that Limoge dish for his wife's birthday .. and .. since he was here anyway .." Tessa blushed slightly. "I asked if he would take a look at Richie."_

_"Her birthday isn't for another month." __Duncan_ raised a brow.__

_"So I asked him to collect it a little early." Tessa waved a hand._

_"Tessa."__Duncan__ rolled his eyes. _

_"Well someone had to do something." Tessa declared. "It is obvious that he needs a doctor. You have not been able to persuade him."_

_"So what did Dr Saunders say?"_

_"I don't know." Tessa admitted miserably. "Richie would not speak to him."_

_"And Conner thinks I'm  stubborn." __Duncan__ murmured in Gaelic._

_"What?" Tessa frowned._

_"Don't worry sweetheart." __Duncan__ nuzzled her neck. "He can't go on like this much longer .. and when he falls .. we'll be right here to catch him." _

_"But he looks so dreadful."_

_"He's walking wounded Tess." __Duncan_ soothed. "How bad can it be?"__

_***_

"When I broke that vase." Richie gave him a rueful grin. "I thought you were going to kill me."

"You were doing a pretty good job of that all by yourself." Duncan scolded.

"I didn't know it was going to get so infected." Richie protested.

"And it didn't .. I don't know .. _hurt?"_

"Not that much .. well not at first anyway." He amended when Duncan's eyebrows shot towards his hairline.

"It's a good job I'm Immortal. You scared me to death Tough Guy." Duncan admitted with quiet sincerely.

"Why do people say that?" Richie shifted awkwardly. "Can you actually die of fright?"

"Rich." Duncan gave him a knowing look.

"Yeah, well." Twin spots of pink appeared in Richie's cheeks. "Then I guess we're even, because you surprised the hell outta me."

***

_Duncan__ came running at the sound of the crash. The body, sprawled motionless among the shards of china, caused a lump of ice to settle in his chest._

_"Richie!"_

_Urgently he checked the lad for a pulse, finding it thin and thready against his fingers._

_"__Duncan__?" Tessa hovered anxiously in the doorway._

_"He passed out." __Duncan__'s tone was clipped, focused. Tearing at the fabric with his teeth he ripped down the sleeve of Richie's shirt, exposing his arm._

_And he froze._

_"Tessa.__ _Call Dr__ Saunders."____

_"What is it..?" Tessa took an involuntary step into the room. Looking over __Duncan__'s shoulder.__ "Oh! Mon Dieu!" She exclaimed as she caught sight of the festering wound, loosely wrapped in a makeshift bandage._

_"Its bad." __Duncan__ told her tersely._

_Carefully he gathered the lad up into his arms. Richie's face rested aginst his chest, and even through his T-shirt __Duncan__ could feel the heat radiating from the teen._

_"Would it have killed you to just say something?" he murmured to his unconscious bundle._

_Settling him on the couch, __Duncan__ placed a gentle hand on his forehead. The skin burned._

_"The Doctor is coming." Tessa told him. "What can I do?"_

_"We need to try and keep his fever down." __Duncan_ told her. "Do we have any ice?"__

_Richie__ stirred restlessly under his hand and Duncan turned back to see wide, scared, eyes, watching him nervously._

_"Easy." __Duncan__ soothed. "Everything's going to be alright now." _

***

"You guys were so great." Richie said haltingly. "I mean .. the Doctor .. the prescriptions .. it must have cost you a fortune."

"Rich. It wasn't about the money."

"And then there's the shop .." Richie continued as if he hadn't heard him. "I mean, you must have lost so much business, because you had to look after me."

"You think that matters?" Duncan shook his head.

"Not to mention, what a pain I must have been .." Richie flushed. "No one likes sick kids."

"Is that why you didn't tell us that you were sick?" Duncan asked. "Because you thought you would be a burden?"

Richie pursed his lips, as if deliberating whether to tell the truth or not. The he looked straight at Duncan.

"No. I didn't tell you because I thought you would throw me out on my ear." He looked down. "And I really like you guys."


	9. Chapter Nine

AN – See – writing as fast as I can.__

French – Le pauvre! – Poor thing! Non? In this context – Isn't he?

***

"He thought we would abandon him because he was sick?" Tessa looked horrified.

"Apparently, it happened once or twice." Duncan opened a draw. "He got sick and the foster parents either couldn't, or wouldn't, look after him and he got sent back to the Orphanage." 

"Le pauvre!" Tessa exclaimed. "How could people be so cruel to a child?"

"Well." Duncan looked on the shelf above the microwave. "If they couldn't be bothered to spend time with him when he wasn't sick .."

"But they were his parents!" Tessa protested. "He needed them."

"I think that's the problem sweetheart." Duncan rummaged in the basket on the counter. "None of those families ever needed him as much as he needed them."

Tessa smiled.

"What?" Duncan looked over his shoulder at her, as he felt through the pockets of his coat.

"He has been good for you." She walked over and put her hand on his face. "You needed a son, my love."

"You know how much I wish .." Duncan began.

"Shh.." Tessa put a finger to his lips. "It is not the same. Many of my girlfriends don't yet have children. I have had my education, my career, you, and now I will have Richie .. it is enough."

"I'm glad." He kissed her.

"But you .." Tessa shook her head. "All these centuries .. you have ached for a son."

"Tess .." Duncan took a ragged breath. She knew him too well.

"You have a big heart Duncan Macleod." Tessa told him. "You have touched many children's lives. But Richie is the first to touch your soul, non?"

Duncan knew she was right. He had cared greatly for Little Deer's son Kahani, but the boy had known and loved his own father and Duncan had never been able to look at the child without seeing the ghost of his dead friend. He had provided for Claudia, when her foster parents had been unable to finance the education she deserved, but like Michelle, she had her own family who loved her. His actions with the girls were driven by duty .. not love.

Richie was different.

"Have you seen the keys to the T-Bird?" he asked.

In answer, Tessa's eyes slid to the little wooden key rack beside the door.

"Oh." Duncan said sheepishly.

"Where are you going?" Tess inquired. 

"I'm gonna take my kid to the park." Duncan grinned.

***

Or maybe not.

"You want to do what?" Richie looked at him as if he had lost his senses.

"The park. You know .. big green place. With trees. And a basketball court."

"Basketball?" Richie repeated.

"Yeah." Duncan smiled. "We could play a little one on one, work up a bit of an appetite, maybe have some lunch at that Seafood place you like by the pier."

"One on one?" Richie clarified. "You and me?"

"Uh huh." Duncan agreed. "You coming?"

"What about the Store?" Richie protested.

"Richie. Don't tell me you've never played hooky before. Cos I won't believe you." Duncan teased.

"But you've got Mr Fredericks coming to pick up that Mayan statue." Richie pointed out.

"Already called him. Arranged to deliver it first thing tomorrow."

"But you can't just close!" Richie exclaimed. "Loyal customers expect regular opening hours."

Duncan quirked a brow. "Tessa caught you sneaking off early to meet your date didn't she?"

"You know about that?" Richie looked faintly worried.

"The cute blonde in the shipping agency? Yeah, I know about that." Duncan smirked.

"Tess yelled." Richie winced.

"Then I guess I don't have to. C'mon." Duncan encouraged. "I promise I'll write you a note for Tess."

"How come you're not mad at me?" Richie fell reluctantly into step beside him.

"I have kinda a thing for cute blondes myself." Duncan allowed.

***

Still something wasn't right.

The closer they got to the park, the edgier Richie became. First he drummed his fingers, then he tapped his foot, by the time Duncan pulled into the parking lot by the basketball courts, he had a full percussion session going on, on the dashboard. Almost before Duncan had stopped, he was out of the car.

"Um. I need a soda .." he threw over his shoulder, as he sprinted towards the concession stand.

"He thinks he needs _more_ sugar?" Duncan muttered.

Then Richie insisted that they went for a walk before they hit the courts.

"I thought you said City boys like you didn't like green things?"

Richie started slightly, as if he hadn't expected Duncan to remember that. "Um. Yeah.." he stuttered. "But I like watching girls." The cocky grin was back in place. 

Anyone else might have been convinced. Not Duncan Macleod.

By the time they got to the look out point he knew something was wrong.

"OK Rich. Spill." He instructed.

"What?" Richie glanced over at him. "You want to explain to Tessa why I have soda all over the front of my new shirt?"

"Funny." Duncan made a face at him. "You know what I mean. What's bothering you Tough Guy?"

"I'm fine." Richie hopped up onto the wall and began pacing.

"Sure you are." Duncan wasn't agreeing.

"C'mon Mac. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the grass is .. growing." He threw out an arm to indicate the expansive view. "What could be wrong?"

"Um. Rich." Duncan looked over the wall at the sheer drop. "You think you could come down from there?"

"What's the matter Mac?" Richie grinned. "Don't like heights?" 

"I don't like you and heights." Duncan pointed out. "Now will you please come down?"

"Aw. C'mon Mac. I've done this kinda thing thousands of times." Richie demonstrated, by turning on his heel.

As he did so a look of absolute horror flashed across his face and his arms began to pin wheel in a desperate attempt to keep his balance as he fell backwards.

"Richie!"

Duncan's hand flashed out and seized Richie by the wrist, pulling him down off the wall and into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around the shaking shoulders. Duncan had no idea how long they stood like that.

"You're alright." He spoke gruffly, dropping a soft kiss on the blond curls. "You're safe."

"Mac?" Richie looked up, his eyes wide with surprise.

Duncan swiped impatiently at the tears rolling down his face. Too close. Much too close. _Again_.

***

"There was nothing I could do.." Duncan finished raggedly. "I was too far away. She fell to her death."

"What was her name?" Richie asked carefully.

"Deborah." Duncan managed thickly. "Ach, she was a bonny lass."

"I'm sorry." Richie said sincerely. "If I'd known .."

"You didn't." Duncan reassured him. "Just humour me and stay away from steep drops from now on. OK?"

"I didn't think you were scared of anything." Richie admitted frankly.

"Richie. Just because you become Immortal, doesn't mean you're inviolate." Duncan instructed. "Even if you're not scared for yourself, you worry about those you love. And just because you know you can't die permanently .. doesn't mean that you're not afraid."

"Really?" Richie asked almost plaintively.

"Its hard to let go of that natural instinct that mortal injury is so not a good thing." Duncan managed a smile. "And, besides, it still hurts."

"Oh." Richie said softly.

"So." Duncan draped an arm around his shoulder. "I've shown you mine .. are you ready to show me yours?"

"I guess that's fair." Richie managed a smile. "Only .." he hesitated.

"Go on." Duncan encouraged.

"You have to promise not to get all Medieval on me."

"The 16th Century is not medieval." Duncan pointed out.

"Promise me." Richie insisted.

"I promise not to impale anyone on my sword if that's what you're worried about."

"After I was taken away from Teresa's." Richie spoke quietly. "Man, I was so mad. One minute it seemed like all my dreams had come true. The next .. I was outta there."

"I can't imagine how difficult that was for you." Duncan said sincerely.

"Yeah." Richie swallowed. "So. Anyway. They put me in this new foster home." He shook his head. "I was so angry. I wasn't about to make it easy for them. But they were .. fantastic." 

"Really?" Duncan sat up a bit straighter. This wasn't what he had expected at all.

"Oh yeah." Richie smiled fondly. "It was like an episode of the Waltons or something. She baked cakes, he took me to ball games. I felt like a real kid, you know?"

"You look pretty real to me." Duncan couldn't resist.

"Well. It didn't last." Richie sighed.

Every warrior instinct that Duncan Macleod had ever acquired over his four centuries suddenly sat up and took notice.

"Did he harm ye?"

"Not like you mean." Richie shook his head. "I don't think I'd ever loved any guy, like I loved him. He was my hero."


	10. Chapter Ten

AN – Thanks for the reviews. To Spike's Girl – haven't you noticed how much I _like_ torturing people?? (grins) Especially Richie! Nearly there .. probably two more Chapters after this - still lots more things for Richie to be afraid of first.

***

"So what happened?" Duncan spoke gently.

"I happened." Richie shrugged.

"_Rich_." Duncan protested, with fond affection.

"At first everything was great." Richie began. "I mean the guy was like straight out of a sit-com or something. He helped me with my homework. Took me to museums on weekends ..."

"Museums?" Duncan asked.

"How do you think I know so much about Antiques?" Richie smirked.

"Not to mention security systems." Duncan added.

"What?" Richie's head came up. "Oh. Nah. That's a whole other story." He grinned tightly.

"Anything I should know?" Duncan raised a brow.

"Um. Probably not." Richie amended quickly.

Duncan shook his head with a grin. Richie had way too much in common with Amanda.

"It was such a rush you know?" Richie said softly. "I mean .. for the first time in my life I had a real Dad. Not one who had to work weekends, or who I had to share with other kids. He would be there to give me a ride to School in the mornings, he'd come in and talk to me before I went to sleep each night .. I really liked that .."

He paused

"You OK?" Duncan nudged him gently with his knee.

"Yeah." Richie rubbed at his face. "I guess I never really realised how much I needed all that guy stuff until I had it huh?"

"How old were you?"

"I had my fourteenth birthday  a few days after I moved in." Richie looked up. "Man. I'd never seen so many parcels. It wasn't like I'd expected much .. these guys barely knew me." He smiled. "Teresa had been saving up all year to buy me this really cool stereo. I wasn't supposed to know, but .. you know me."

"Let me guess. It was right there in plain sight .. hidden on top of  her wardrobe ..?"

"Pretty much." Richie laughed. "So, anyway, I was just happy that these guys had done something, they've even got a cake and balloons and stuff, it was like a regular party."

"Sounds nice." Duncan smiled.

"So how do you celebrate your birthday?" Richie asked curiously. "Cos, I'm guessing ice-cream and cake begins to loose its appeal after the first few centuries or so."

"Well apart from the fact that ice-cream wasn't invented back then, usually Tessa and I .."

"Forget I asked." Richie shook his head with a grin.

Then he frowned. "Ice-cream had to be _invented?"_

"Richie. Stop trying to change the subject." Duncan admonished.

"So. I'm opening my presents and I'm trying to be polite, cos the clothes were a little too Brady Bunch for my taste, not to mention a couple of sizes too big. And the gifts were a little off – somehow he'd managed to get me this football signed by the Seacouver Patriots, - I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd never even been to a Game." He stopped.

"Rich?" Duncan prodded.

"I just figured they didn't know me real well yet." Richie shook his head. "Shows what I knew."

***

"So the guy was a bit of a Sports fan, huh?" Duncan asked as he bit into his sandwich.

"That's an understatement." Richie chewed. "It was like an obsession."

"You mean like you and girls?" Duncan teased.

"That's hormones." Richie informed him loftily. "I'm just fulfilling my genetic programming."

"You said you liked Biology." Duncan acknowledged.

"Yeah. Trouble is I wasn't so hot at Sports." Richie shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh. I don't know." Duncan couldn't help himself. "You can run pretty fast."

"Yeah." Richie allowed. "Just so as there aren't a bunch of 200 pound Neanderthals waiting to flatten me."

"You want to explain that?" Duncan reached for the ketchup. "In English, preferably."

"He wanted his kid to be the star Quarterback."

"A Quarterback?" Duncan paused with his sandwich halfway to his mouth.

"Uh huh." Richie chewed.

"Oh." Duncan considered that. In many ways Richie was a natural athlete, the style and grace which served him so well on the basketball court would also equip him to be a fine swordsman. But he simply didn't have the bulk to excel at a sport like football.

"You couldn't be an all-state Basketball Star instead?" Duncan suggested.

"He thought basketball was for girls." Richie looked at the ground.

"Rich .." Duncan began.

"I mean, how do they work these placements out?" Richie's voice quavered. "Its not like one size fits all."

Duncan slipped an arm around Richie's shoulder and was relieved when the teen leant into his strength.

"Tell me." He commanded gently.

"I tried so hard." Richie managed. "There was nothing I wanted more on this earth than to make him proud of me. I went to practice and got pummelled on a regular basis. They had like a whole first aid kit just for me."

"And the Coach allowed this?" Duncan's voice had a dangerous edge.

"He and my foster Dad were like old High School buddies. They were determined to make a man of me." Richie forced a laugh.

"Killing you won't make you better." Duncan muttered.

"Ain' that the truth." Richie scoffed. "I sucked .. big time."

"Rich. You were fourteen, playing with guys who were a year older than you." Duncan pointed out. "At that age .. that's a huge difference."

"Didn't matter. Not to him." Richie sniffed. "I guess he finally got tired of trying to make me into the kid he wanted."

"What do you mean he got tired?" Duncan growled.

"Come the big game of the season, there must have been like a major epidemic or something cos I ended up making the team. I mean, I wasn't starting or anything. I think the Coach was kinda hoping he wouldn't have to play me but ..." His voice was ragged.

"Pretty rough hey?" Duncan said, trying to make it easier on him.

"You don't know the half of it." Richie shook his head. "When I got home that night he'd packed up all my stuff. Well. The stuff I'd taken with me. He kept all the rest .. the stuff they'd bought .. for the next kid."

"The next kid?" Duncan felt like he was going to be sick.

"Yeah." Richie swallowed hard. "He said he hoped he do better next time, cos Richie Ryan wasn't the type of kid that any father could ever be proud of."

Duncan swore fiercely in Gaelic and his sword hand itched to inflict justice.

"Its no true. Do you hear me?" he tilted Richie's face up to meet his eyes. "You mustna believe it."

Richie regarded him, eyes wide and vulnerable, a lone tear trickling down his face.

"It always has been."

***

They were both quiet on the walk back to the car. Duncan made sure he kept his arm wrapped firmly around Richie's shoulders.

"People are gonna talk." Richie protested half heartedly.

"Let 'em." Duncan declared firmly. They both needed this.

He could think of a hundred thousand reasons to love this child. Trouble was he didn't think Richie would believe any of them right now.

He would just have to prove it to him.

He wondered exactly where Connor was right now. It didn't matter. He would come.

"Rich." Duncan tried to keep his tone casual as he opened the door to the T-Bird. "What was his name?"

"Mac." Richie gave him a knowing look. "You promised. No reaping vengeance down to the third generation." 

"Hey. I was just thinking of a few friendly games of touch football." Duncan gave a positively evil smile.

"Doesn't matter anyway." Richie shook his head at him.. "I heard he's dead now."

"Really?" Duncan wasn't sure he believed him.

"Yeah. Really." Richie assured him, reaching out to change the radio station. "Car crash or something."

Duncan tried to feel bad about that.

"Well. For what its worth, I think the guy was a short-sighted idiot. You're still developing Rich, Lord knows I don't think those people ever fed you enough, but you already have the makings of a first class athlete."

"I do?" Richie looked sceptical.

"You do." Duncan assured him. "But even if you were a klutz. We still wouldn't throw you back."

He expected Richie to grin and roll his eyes, instead the teen blushed positively bashfully at the praise and offered a lop-sided smile.

"Thanks Mac. Coming from you. That means a lot."

All the way home Duncan tried to work out exactly why that worried him quite so much.


	11. Chapter Eleven

AN- Thanks for the reviews. You do realise that the only reason I'm allowing Duncan and Richie to be so sugary sweet, is that something really bad is going to happen, don't you? (grins) And a note to Spike's Girl - I haven't forgotten about "The Quickening" – its just easier to do one story at a time!

Only one French bit – Petit – little one.

***

"Isn't it obvious?" Conner's voice drifted down the line.

Duncan was gratified that his teacher had picked up his messages so quickly. He just wished he didn't sound so blessedly smug.

"Enlighten me." He spoke dryly.

"If the lad could not earn the good opinion of a mere mortal, how can he ever live up to the expectations of Duncan Macleod of the Clan Macleod?"

"Richie knows me better than that." Duncan protested.

"As his employer." Conner allowed. "Not as his father. You are a good man Duncan. But a demanding one.  Its only natural that the lad is afeared that he'll be a disappointment to you."

"Do you think he's afraid that I'll go all Medieval on him?" Duncan asked worriedly.

Conner winced. "Duncan. You're supposed to rub off on the little thief. Not the other way around."

"Uh huh." Duncan smiled. "As I recall it was Rachel who bought you your first single. Doris Day wasn't it?"

"Was there a reason you called?" Conner asked testily.

"Yes. Actually."

Briefly Duncan outlined his plan.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Conner asked seriously.

"You don't approve?" Duncan worried.

"As it happens my business here is concluded." Conner evaded the question. "I'll catch the next available flight."

***

"Look. I just don't see why we can't go on as we are .." Richie returned to the old argument.

"Because." Duncan told him with a grin, juggling the pizza boxes and the video.

"Funny Mac." Richie scowled. "Four hundred years of culture and you fall back on the logic of  a seventeen year old."

"Sixteen." Duncan corrected. 

"Force of habit." Richie shrugged.

"How long have you been doing this?" Duncan asked curiously.

"Since, I was fourteen. I mean actual fourteen – so that I made myself fifteen. I'd have gone older but I didn't think I could cut it." Richie said sinking back onto the couch.

"You change your records straight after you ..?" Duncan hesitated.

"Got kicked out?" Richie finished for him. "Yeah. Pretty much."

Duncan joined him on the couch and put his feet on the coffee table.

"I wouldn't want to be you if Tess catches you doing that." Richie smirked.

"I'll be OK." Duncan looked smug. "I _know_ how to use the washing machine."

"Tessa has other weapons." Richie pointed out.

Duncan put his feet on the floor.

"How's the arm?" he asked.

Richie peeled back his sleeve to show the healing scab on his right arm.

"Its almost gone." He observed. "I think there's gonna be a scar though."

"You're lucky there's still gonna be an arm." Duncan pointed out.

***

_"No." Richie said stubbornly. "No way."_

_"Son.__ That arm is badly inflected." Dr Saunders pointed out. "It needs more than an aspirin and some antiseptic. Trust me. The Hospital is the best place for you." He looked over at __Duncan__. "I'll go direct the Paramedics." _

_"I don't care how bad it is .." Richie struggled to sit up. "I'm not going to the Hospital."_

_ "Richie. Be still." __Duncan__ put a hand on his shoulder._

_"Please." Richie searched his face anxiously. "I can't. Please don't make me." _

_"Why don't you want to go to the Hospital petit?" Tessa asked gently._

_"I don't have anyone to sign for me." Richie looked down. "They'll put me in Juvie."_

_"I'll take care of it." __Duncan__ assured him._

_"Sure you will." Richie turned his head away._

_"Trust me." __Duncan__ patted his shoulder gently._

_"Yeah.__ Right." Richie muttered._

_"What will you do?" Tessa asked anxiously in French._

_"Whatever it takes sweetheart." __Duncan__ answered firmly. "Whatever it takes."_

***

"What did you do?" Richie eyed him curiously. "You never did tell me."

"I told them you followed me home and I asked if I could keep you." Duncan smirked.

"No. Really." Richie insisted.

"Every problem has a solution." Duncan shrugged. "You just have to know where to look."

"Or whose palm to grease?" Richie fished.

"Like I'm giving you any more ideas." Duncan scoffed. "Your life of crime is over. Remember?"

"Yeah. Sure." Richie nodded. "No illegal activities whatsoever, except in cases of near death experience."

"And you'd better believe that your life is in danger." Duncan warned him. "Or else."

"I'm guessing I won't like "else" much?" Richie grinned.

"You're learning." Duncan smiled.

"I'm learning that Duncan Macleod keeps his word." Richie told him softly.

Duncan gave him a sharp look. This was progress indeed.

"I was so sure that you guys would just dump me in the Hospital." Richie studied his scar intently. "But you stuck by me .."

He looked up. "Even when it looked like .."

***

_"How much longer are they going to be?" Tessa paced nervously across the Hospital Room. "They said __noon__. Its almost one!"_

_Duncan__ barely looked up from his vigil by Riche's bedside._

_"I'm sure they'll tell us as soon as they know." He murmured._

_She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and searched for a lighter._

_"I don't think you can smoke in here." __Duncan__ pointed out._

_"Argh!"__ Tessa crushed the entire pack in her hand. "How can you be so calm?" she shouted._

_"Because …" __Duncan__ hissed._

_"Because?"__ Tessa scoffed. "This is a reason? Because?"_

_"Works for me .." Richie slurred softly._

_"Because I was trying not to wake him."__Duncan__ finished._

_"Oh/" Tessa put her hand over her mouth._

_"Hey." __Duncan__ rested a hand on Richie's forehead to check for fever._

_"Maac."__ Richie rolled his eyes. "They have electronic stuff to do that now."_

_"Humour me." __Duncan__ smiled at him._

_"No news huh?"__ Richie asked lightly._

_As if in response the door opened and the Doctor came in with an apologetic smile and a sheaf of papers._

_At once __Duncan__ felt Richie tense under his hand. The lad wasn't as unconcerned as he was trying to make out. He moved his hand down to the boy's shoulder and left it there._

_"I'm sorry about the delay." The Doctor looked around at the three concerned faces. "But its good news. He won't loose the arm."_

_"Oh thank God!" Tessa breathed, swiping at the tears on her face._

_"That's great news Doctor." __Duncan__ shook his hand warmly. _

_Richie said nothing._

***

"Most people would have been pleased." Duncan teased gently.

Lord knows, _he'd_ been more relieved than he could say. He'd known seasoned Immortals who had successfully adapted their fighting style to compensate for the loss of an arm, but he'd worried that he wasn't equal to the task of teaching the skill to an utter novice.

"I was. I am." Richie assured him.

"But .." Duncan nudged.

"But .. you know me too well." Richie scowled.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Duncan observed.

"I'm not used to people paying that much attention." Richie admitted.

"I'll always be there for you Rich." Duncan vowed. "I may not always tell you what you want to hear .." he shrugged. "But you can always count on me."

"Yeah." Richie picked at the Afghan. "I'm learning that too."

***

_"You don't gotta do this." Richie sat forlornly, looking rather small and lost, on the King Sized double bed._

_"I know." __Duncan__ said kindly._

_"I can take care of myself." Richie insisted._

_"And look how well that turned out." __Duncan__ nodded at the bright white bandage on his arm._

_Pride was one thing, but being so damn foolhardy was going to get the lad killed._

_"I'm sorry." Richie ducked his head. "I'll pay you back for the medicine and stuff."_

_"We'll talk about it." __Duncan__ sighed, not wanting an argument. "For now, you're staying with us. No argument. OK?"_

_"Kay." Richie smiled._

_"Alright.__ What do you say we get you out of those things and into bed?" __Duncan_ offered.__

_Richie flushed and looked at the floor._

_"Unless, you'd rather I called Tess to come in and help you?" __Duncan__ teased, hoping to lighten the mood.  _

_Richie had already made it clear that he found it difficult to ask for help. At the Hospital he had insisted that the nurses did everything for him. Refusing to let Mac or Tessa lend a hand._

_"I .. um I don't have any .. that is .. I'm not wearing any .." Richie was bright red._

_"Oh." __Duncan__ realised. "Well let's see."_

_Tessa had spent a joyful afternoon shopping for the needs of their teenage patient. Blessedly she had thought of everything._

***

"I didn't expect you to be such a good nurse." Richie glanced sideways at him.

"In four hundred years I have had _some practise." Duncan pointed out._

"Yeah, but you're Immortal." Richie shook his head. "You don't even get sick."

Duncan stilled.

Surely Conner wasn't right after all.

"Rich. Just because I can't get sick anymore doesn't mean I don't care when those I love .."

"L love ..?" Richie spluttered. "You _can't love me."_


	12. Chapter Twelve

AN – OK so this part is a bit longer than I expected – actually a whole chapter longer. Conner _really_ wasn't happy!  One_ more chapter. (I think!)_

***

"Why can't I love you?" Duncan demanded.  "And if you say _because so help me I'll .."_

"Chop me into little itty bitty pieces?" Richie supplied helpfully.

Duncan looked at him.

"Just for future reference. Giving your opponents ideas about how to maim and torture you? Not a good idea."

"Right." Richie nodded. "Note to self. Don't piss off sword wielding Immortals."

"So ..?" Duncan pressed.

Richie winced. "Let me guess. This is another of those bug me for a hundred years things. Right?"

"Right." Duncan grinned.

"Argh." Richie tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his grin. "_You're learning."_

"So sue me." Duncan quipped.

"Alright. Already." Richie was laughing now. "I give. OK?"

Duncan bit back a smile. Four hundred years of dealing with people had to give you _some advantages._

"You know Mac. Sometimes I don't get you at all."

Or maybe not.

"I mean .." Richie took a breath. "You say you want to be my Dad .. but you act more like you're my best friend or something."

"I can't be your father and your friend?" Duncan asked.

"I wouldn't know." Richie said with a raw honestly that tore at Duncan's heart.

"Then let me show you." Duncan put a hand on the nape of his neck.

"How?" Richie quavered.

Duncan told him.

 ***

The following afternoon, Richie was just counting up the day's receipts when the door chimed and a late customer came in.

"Nice pot." The customer observed. "Is it worth much?"

Richie gave him a sharp look.

"Samian ware." Richie identified correctly. "Probably 2nd Century. See the makers mark? That means this piece is from Italy. Don't get too excited. It was mass produced by the Romans. Their version of Tupperware if you like. But you already knew that."

"I did." Conner Macleod acknowledged. "I wanted to see if you did."

"Yeah. I know.  Not a trick. A test." Richie scowled. "Must be hereditary."

"What?" Conner frowned.

"Mac's not here right now." Richie told him. "But I guess you knew that too."

In answer Conner just shrugged.

They stood there for a minute.

"Well. Aren't you going to invite me in?" Conner quirked a brow.

Richie stared at him for a moment and then gave a shrug of his own.

"You're family. You don't gotta ask."

Wordlessly he led the way towards the kitchen.

Conner watched his retreating back. He hadn't been sure. Now he was convinced. There was no way he could allow Duncan to do this.

***

At the kitchen table Conner watched impassively as the lad warned the teapot and measured out the leaves. Leaving the tea to steep as he looked out a selection of cookies and put them on a plate. Milk went into the cups first and then the light golden tea, leaving Conner to add his own sugar as desired.

Conner eyed the delicate china cup for a moment.

"Or we could just go out the back and rummage in a few dumpsters?" Richie challenged

"Sorry." Conner apologised, as he stirred his tea. There was no need to take it out on the lad. "Civilization is a very recent concept you know." He added, hoping to make amends.

"You should know." Richie shot back. "When you were my age it was considered polite to .."

"I can imagine." Conner interrupted.

He tensed as he felt the familiar wash of an Immortal nearby. It was probably Duncan but ..

"Aw man. Don't tell me." Richie shook his head. "Its probably Mac .." 

It was.

"Richie ..?" Duncan's worried voice echoed through the apartment.

"In here cousin." Conner answered in Gaelic. He had no wish to begin this conversation over drawn swords.

"Conner!" Duncan appeared in the doorway, juggling groceries, looking pleased and relieved and hastily stowing the Katana.

"That's who it is." Richie smacked his forehead. "Y'know, I thought I knew him from somewhere, but then he offered me the candy and to show me these cute puppies and I clean forgot to ask if he was a homicidal maniac."

"Funny." Duncan tousled his hair lightly. "Good flight cousin?" he asked innocently.

"We need to talk." Conner said in Gaelic.

"Alright." Duncan answered in English, with a pointed look at Richie. "Just let me put these groceries away and then we'll talk."

"Now." Conner insisted.

"I can do that." Richie took the groceries.

"Thanks, Tough guy." Duncan tried to smile at him. But Richie wouldn't catch his eye.

***

"Alright!" Duncan snapped as soon as they were alone. "What exactly, is your problem?"

"Duncan .." Conner sighed. "You know why you can't do this."

"Richie can take care of himself. He's had to."

"Against Immortals? With swords?" Conner scoffed. "That smart mouth of his is going to talk him into an early grave. The permanent sort."

"Or maybe out of it?" Duncan shot back.

"I could have slew him where he stood and he couldn't have raised a hand against me." Conner stated.

"Oh and Rachel could?" Duncan retorted.

"Its not the same Duncan and you know it." Conner refused to rise to the bait. "Rachel is mortal. Only the most evil of us would see her as a target."

"Richie's not in the Game yet." Duncan hissed.

"Nor should he be." Conner affirmed. "For pity's sake Duncan, find him a nice, normal, foster home until his time comes."

"You told me to watch him." Duncan protested.

"Watch him, not adopt him." Conner pointed out. "This is no piece of paper from the family court that expires when the lad turns eighteen that you are planning."

"So?" Duncan saw nothing wrong in that.

"So, its not the way our kind do things Duncan." Conner reminded him.

"Conner, right now, he's just a sixteen year old boy. He doesn't need an employer, or a social worker or a parole officer. He needs a father."

"Is this about his needs? Or yours?" Conner asked quietly.

The silence hung between them for a long moment.

"Um. Mac?" Richie hovered in the doorway.

"What is it Rich?" Duncan looked up.

"Tess called. You promised to help her bring those pieces back from the showing."

"Oh lord, I forgot." Duncan ran a hand through his hair. "I'll be right there."

Duncan looked at his teacher.

"I'd wish to do this with your blessing Conner. But I will do it without, if I must."

***

"You don't like me much do you?" Richie was leaning on the door jamb.

"I like you well enough." Conner allowed.

"You don't like me living here." Richie stated.

"I don't think it's the safest thing." Conner agreed.

"I haven't said anything." Richie protested. "I gave Mac my word that I wouldn't and I haven't."

Conner blinked. Surprised that the lad would think first of Duncan's safety, rather than his own.

But any retort he might have made was cut off by the familiar wash of an Immortal's presence.

"Maybe Mac forgot something." Richie suggested warily, watching his face.

"Or maybe it isn't him." Conner felt for his sword, and strode through the apartment with Richie at his heels.

It wasn't.

The unfamiliar Immortal waiting in the alley pointed his sword meaningfully in Conner's direction.

"My name is Ian Robbins and you are responsible for the death of my favourite student."

"It seems my business wasn't quite as finished as I thought." Conner murmured apologetically.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

AN –OK – I'm gonna stop saying that this is finished until it really, really, is. (One more chapter – again!) Thanks to ShadyLady and Southern Chickie for the practically instantaneous reviews!! To everyone else maybe I should hold the final Chapter to ransom? (Truly evil grin!)

Scottish notes - I know they do Haggis in Safeway – because I've eaten it!

***

"I'm guessing he hasn't come to buy an Antique?" Richie quipped nervously.

"No. He is one." Conner said coolly.

He flicked a quick glance at the lad.

"Leave. Go to a public place. Call Duncan. Have him come and pick you up. Don't come back without him."

"You gonna fight him?" Richie asked.

"I don't think he's going to give me a choice." Conner observed.

"Isn't being someone's student like family?" Richie gave him an odd look. "Like you and Mac?"

"Sometimes." Conner admitted. "But his student was a sick, twisted, pervert, who liked to target children."

Pre-immortal children, in fact. Not a piece of information he wanted to share with present company.

Richie looked warily at the angry Immortal.

"I guess love really is blind huh?" he whispered.

"Will you just go?" Conner hissed.

"I'm going." Richie held up his hands. "Leaving already. Completely out of here."

Conner waited until the pre-Immortal buzz had faded, before drawing his Katana.

"There's a warehouse." He instructed. "Not far from here."

Robbins simply nodded.

***

Conner grunted as he parried the blow. Good. But not as good as him.

He stepped back, assessing his opponent. Noting the small signs of weakness that would allow him to win the fight.

And the dark, sleek, gun, in the others hand.

"You canna." He protested, shocked beyond words. "Tis against the rules."

"You killed my student, Highlander. You think I care about the rules?"

"Your blue eyed boy was an evil monster who preyed on innocent children." Conner pointed out.

"My student was but a child." Robbins protested. "Not one quarter of your age. What does that make you?"

"Its not the same and you know it." Conner wondered if he could take out the gun, before the bullet hit.

He didn't think so.

Then it was too late. The bullet pierced his chest. Robbins tossed the gun aside, his face a mask of triumph.

Desperately holding onto the last vestiges of his consciousness Conner saw Robbins coming towards him. A hard kick in his side forced bitter, coopery, blood, into his mouth.

"We all get the death we deserve Highlander." Robbins gloated.

Then he smiled, a particularly evil smile.

"In fact, I think it only fitting that you should die by the same sword that took my student."

Deftly, he plucked the Katana from Conner's now lifeless hand.

"A pretty blade." He admired, turning it into the light. "Perhaps I shall take it as my own? Hmm?" His expression, shifted, hardened. "You won't be needing it any more."

Almost the last thing Conner remembered was the look of shocked surprise on Robbins' face as his chest exploded.

The last thing he remembered was Duncan's little thief, holding the discarded gun, in both hands, looking pale as a ghost.

Then everything went black.

***

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Please don't me dead. Please don't be dead." Richie scooted over to Conner's side.

He was dead.

"Some help you are." Richie scowled at the unresponsive corpse.

He risked a quick glance at Robbins.

"Yep. Definitely dead. I killed him." Richie nodded in satisfaction. Then paused. "Oh man, I killed him." Richie felt sick. He'd never killed anyone before.

Funny, it didn't really seem to matter that he knew he would come back.

"Oh shit. He's gonna come back." Richie realised.

The gun was all out of bullets.

Looking frantically around he saw nothing but an empty warehouse and the discarded swords.

"Sword."

Richie shied away from using the ancient Katana, Robbins sword would do well enough. Standing over the body he grasped the hilt in both hands and, taking a deep breath, plunged it as hard into his chest as he could.

The corpse shifted slightly and dark blood bubbled up around the sword.

Richie needed to throw up after that.

Then he picked up the empty gun, its cool, dark, strength, providing him some comfort.

"Do the bullets pop out when he heals?" he wondered aloud. If so, he wanted to be the one holding the gun.

He gripped it a bit tighter. And rocked gently.

After that he didn't remember anything else until Mac found him.

***

"Rich? You OK?" The soft, rich, voice, asked. "You with me?"

He was sure he answered. But maybe he didn't. Because Duncan kept on talking.

"Why don't you let me take that?" Strong hands gently eased the gun from numb fingers.

Richie blinked. "Mac?"

"Yeah. Its me." Duncan assured him.

Richie tried to get up but his legs had turned to water and he felt himself falling as everything began to spin.

"Easy Rich." Duncan caught him before he could hit the ground and pulled him in close, cradling him close against his chest. "Its alright. Its all over."

"He shot Conner." Richie faltered. "He was gonna take his head."

"I know." Duncan stroked his hair gently. 

"Oh man." Richie curled his fingers in Duncan's shirt, as if to assure himself that the Immortal was really there. "I killed him .." his voice cracked.

"Its alright." Duncan rested his chin in the teen's blonde curls. "Everything's alright now."

As Duncan hugged him tightly, Richie struggled to choke back his sobs.

"Let it out Richie." Duncan's voice was gentle with understanding. "Lord knows, you've been through enough these past few weeks."

When he was finally finished, Richie sniffed, swiping an arm across his eyes.

"I don't usually cry."

"I noticed, _Tough Guy_." Duncan teased gently.

"Yeah." Richie managed a grin. "My face gets all blotchy and red and that is so not a good look."

Duncan laughed. This lad was a constant source of amazement.

"Come on." Duncan helped him up. "Let's go and see how Conner is doing."

***

Conner was hauling himself to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster, stopping a moment to peer at his blood splattered chest.

"That was a $300 shirt." He muttered disgustedly.

"Be grateful that is all you lost today." Duncan looked darkly at Robbins lifeless corpse.

"Duncan." Conner warned. "Robbins is my problem."

"My family. My problem." Duncan growled.

"Your family is my family." Conner said quietly.

Duncan gave him a sharp look. "Does this mean you've changed your mind?" he asked carefully.

"What can I say?" Conner shrugged.

"You could say you were wrong." Duncan pointed out.

"The lad can think on his feet." Conner smiled. "Lord knows, I don't think he'd fit in with a normal family."

"Hey, I'm normal." Richie protested. "I'm not the one with the big hole where my chest used to be."

"Its all healed." Conner soothed. "See?"

He pulled open his shirt. Tentatively, Richie put his hand on the now smooth flesh.

Conner covered his hand with his own.

"Thank you." He said simply.

"Does this mean I'm responsible for you for the rest of your life?" Richie joked. " Because I gotta tell you, in your case, that's a pretty scary concept."

"I think we can spare you that Risteard." Conner smiled.

"Risteard?" Richie looked at Duncan.

"Its Gaelic." Duncan looked absurdly pleased. "Its your name."

"Oh. Cool." Richie grinned.

"C'mon." Duncan nodded towards the T-Bird. "Tessa will be worried."

"Can I drive?" Richie looked hopeful.

"Sure." Duncan smiled. The lad was still a little shaky. "Just as soon as you've had eight hours sleep."

"Funny Mac." Richie set off towards the car.

***

Duncan hung back and eyed his teacher with concern.

"Are you sure you don't have need a of kinsman to stand second?" he asked.

"Oh, I think I can manage Robbins." Conner smiled thinly. "Forewarned is forearmed as they say."

"I don't think I want to know." Duncan shook his head.

"You need to teach the lad the rules." Conner observed wryly. "He's not supposed to interfere."

"Does that count whilst he's still mortal?" Duncan wondered.

Conner paused. "You know .. I don't know. Although he's not exactly _mortal."_

"There is that." Duncan agreed.

"Go kill the fatted calf Duncan." Conner slapped his shoulder. "There's much to do before we can truly welcome the lad into our clan."

"More than you think." Duncan muttered.

"What? They do Haggis at Safeway you know." Then he frowned. "The boy has agreed, hasn't he?"

"Not in so many words." Duncan hedged.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

AN- OK thanks again for all the reviews – This really is the final chapter – well apart from the Epilogue! I was only kidding about holding it to ransom, I just had to write it first!! I hope its worth the wait – it turned out longer than I thought. Again. And you do get the Epilogue as well!

To Spike's Girl – yep Risteard really is the Gaelic version of Richard. Brat is a real Gaelic word as well!! But Duncan's little ceremony is entirely a figment of my twisted imagination and to the best of my knowledge has no basis in historical fact at all. Do I need to say don't try this at home? You may surely die!

***

"You're actually serious about this?" Richie looked up from making his sandwich.

"What made you think I wasn't?" Duncan enquired.

"I don't know." Richie shrugged. "I think it was the bit where we all have to roll up our pants legs and paint our knees blue."

"Its tradition." Conner murmured

Richie shot him a surprised look.

"Will you two stop it?" Duncan objected.

"You really want to do this?" Richie brought his sandwich to the table.

"I called Conner didn't I?" Duncan nodded at his kinsman. "For all the help he's being."

"I came didn't I?" Conner reached out and took one of Richie's sandwiches.

"You know. I think I liked you better when you didn't like me." Richie told him, moving his plate out of reach.

"The question is Rich. Do you want to do this?" Duncan asked.

"Don't I have to be able to, like speak Gaelic, or something?" Richie played with his food.

"You already can." Conner chewed his sandwich.

"I think I would know." Richie raised a brow.

"Brat is a Gaelic word." Conner smiled thinly.

Richie decided to ignore that.

"No. Seriously." He insisted. "I mean, I'm allergic to porridge, I hate the wilderness, and I don't have the legs to wear a skirt."

"Its not a skirt." Duncan corrected mildly. "It's a kilt."

"See." Richie dumped his uneaten sandwich in the trash. "Shows what I know."

"Well. That went well." Duncan observed.

"Let me try." Conner offered.

***

"You don't want to do this _because you like him?" Conner arched a brow. "That makes sense."_

"I just think .." Richie faltered. "Mac deserves better. OK? He just hasn't realised it yet."

"And in four hundred years he's met so few people to compare you with." Conner observed dryly.

"I'm guessing he didn't get out much." Richie smiled.

"See." Conner nudged him. "That's why he loves you."

"He told you he loved me?" Richie blushed. "But that isn't .. I mean he can't .."

"Why not?"

Richie looked at him.

"You're serious aren't you?" he said in a tone of dawning realisation.

"Risteard. I know you've had some bad experiences in the past. But not everything that seems too good to be true actually is."

Beside him Richie froze.

Silently Conner cursed his stupidity. Duncan was going to kill him.

"Yeah. Mac said you found out all kinds of neat stuff about me from my foster records." Richie said bitterly.

"Just because Duncan is a big strapping lad of  four hundred and four doesn't mean his old teacher doesn't worry about him." Conner confessed. "Yet I'm sorry for it. You have a right to your privacy."

"Tell that to the people at Child Services." Richie scoffed.

"Records can be lost." Conner deadpanned.

"Excuse me?" Richie wasn't sure he had heard right.

"Computers are such fickle things." Conner said with a glint in his eye. "Hard drives crash. Files get corrupted."

"You can do that?" Richie grinned. "Mac has trouble turning the thing on."

"I know."

"I'm guessing after four hundred years you must know him pretty well huh?" Richie looked away.

"It is something of an advantage." Conner agreed. He fervently hoped that Richie would have the chance to find out.

"He really wants this?" Richie asked hesitantly.

"He really wants you." Conner affirmed.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to him." Richie allowed.

***.

"Hey Mac? Is this a bad time?" Richie hovered in the office doorway.

Duncan looked up from the stack of invoices in surprise. It wasn't like Richie to seek him out to talk.

"That's OK. I can come back." Richie mistook his hesitation and turned away.

"No." Duncan jumped up before the lad could take off. "I was just about to take a break, why don't you join me?"

"This isn't just another way of trying to get me to come for a run, is it?" Richie asked warily.

"I was thinking more .. rocky road, double scoop." Duncan smiled, leading the way through the door.

"Remind me. How old are you again?" Richie teased.

"Rich. If I worried about all the things I was supposed to be too old to do .."

"I get it." Richie laughed.

"Its good to hear you laugh." Duncan looked serious. "You haven't done much of that lately."

"Its been an interesting few weeks." Richie stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"You know." Duncan swallowed. "Perhaps I'm wrong to ask this of you. I can't promise that there won't be others like Robbins. You deserve better."

"_I_ deserve better?" Richie stopped in the middle of the Store.

"Aye." Duncan managed gruffly. "I can't promise that I'll always be able to protect you. I can't promise I'll always come back. Lord knows you've had enough pain in your life. I've no right to add to that. Maybe it would be better .." he blinked at the sudden stinging in his eyes.

"Or maybe you are worth the bother." Richie said with quiet determination.

"What?" Duncan blinked.

"Besides." Richie shrugged. "If this is suddenly going to become Immortal central. I figure you need someone to watch your back."

"I .. You .." Duncan floundered.

"I have some experience you know." Richie offered. "I'm sure Conner will give me a reference."

"Richie .."

"And somebody needs to teach Tessa how to cook. You know, it's a good job you're Immortal otherwise she'd have killed you by now."

"Is that a yes?" Duncan managed.

"If you'll have me." Richie looked up shyly.

Duncan suddenly couldn't speak over the huge lump in his throat. Instead he reached out and hugged Richie hard.

This time Richie hugged him back .. and didn't let go.

"Is this a good time to ask for a raise?"

***

"Alright. Did Duncan tell you about the origins of the ceremony?" Conner enquired.

"He said it was so you guys could find each other on the battlefield when you were dead." Richie eyed the knife with concern.

"That's part of it." Conner acknowledged. "But it is also a sign to the world that you are part of the Clan. That you belong."

"Do you have one as well?" Richie asked curiously.

In answer, Conner bared his left arm and showed the small dark blue tattoo that looked like the point of an arrow.

"The sons of the Clan were marked when they reached their sixteenth birthday and could declare their loyalty of their own free will."

"That's why you guys still have the marks." Richie realised. "It happened before you became Immortal."

"That's right." Conner agreed.

 "But I'm already sixteen." Richie pointed out.

"Then you won't have any problem with the long words." Duncan teased him.

"There are words?" Richie shot back.

"As I was saying ..?" Conner put in.

"Sorry." Duncan and Richie chorused. Then grinned at each other.

"Its also a symbol of trust." Conner continued. "The Clan needs to be able rely on each other both in battle and hard times. Its takes faith to offer up your life's blood when the nearest Emergency room is centuries away."

"Life blood?" Richie looked anxiously at the Chalice. "Um. That's a pretty big cup."

"It only takes a few drops." Duncan assured him. "A cup like that would serve for the whole Clan."

"Unless, of course, the knife slips .." Conner murmured.

"Conner." Duncan reproved.

"I'm sure the lad has every faith in you cousin." His kinsman said blithely.

"Can we just do this please?" Richie asked testily.

***

Duncan went first.

With a deft, practised, movement Conner made two swift, small, incisions, in his younger kinsman's arm. Then Duncan held his arm over the chalice, allowing a few dark, drops of blood to fall into the bottom before the Quickening healed the wound.

"Why the left arm?" Richie asked.

"A precaution." Conner told him. "If the wound became infected, it was better not to risk the sword arm."

"Um. I'm quite attached to my arm." Richie pointed out. "Especially in light of recent events."

"We don't have to do this." Duncan assured him. "Not if you don't want to."

Richie looked at the knife and back to the cup.

"Few things of true value come without some risk." Conner murmured, passing him the knife and offering his own arm.

"You want me to do it?" Richie gulped.

"Just remember, if I bleed to death, I'll have to explain to Tessa how I ruined her favourite rug." Conner pointed out.

"Truly a fate worse than death." Duncan smirked.

"OK." Richie looked to Duncan. "I just do what you did, right?"

"Right." Duncan assured.

Richie took a breath to still the shaking in his hands and performed the cut as competently as any surgeon.

"Wow. Sharp knife."

"Take care of a blade and it will take care of you." Duncan smiled.

"Is that the family motto?" Richie quipped.

"It's as good a one as any." Conner agreed.

Then it was Richie's turn.

***

"You ready?" Duncan asked gently.

"Yeah." Richie nodded, taking care to hold his arm still. "I've been ready for this for a real long time." He admitted.

"Likewise." Duncan smiled.

Conner rolled his eyes.

The cut was deft and sure, Richie barely felt it, watching almost in surprise as the dark blood dripped into the cup.

"OK?" Duncan asked.

Richie looked back at the wound to see that Duncan had already pressed a cloth over it to help stem the bleeding.

"So is this what its like to give blood?" he joked.

"I think they use needles." Duncan told him.

"And they usually take rather more." Conner smirked.

"Alright." Duncan peered at the wound. "This next part won't hurt a bit."

He carefully rubbed in the pigment that would leave a permanent mark.

"What is that?" Richie asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Conner raised a brow.

"Its harmless." Duncan promised him. 

"Is that it?" Richie asked flexing his arm.

"Not quite." Duncan picked up the chalice and swirled it around so that their three bloods mixed. Then he dipped his finger in.

"I Duncan Macleod, of the Clan Macleod, offer you my hearth and my heart, to live under my protection, as a son of my blood, for as long as we both shall live."

Then, with a smile, he dabbed a cross of blood on Richie's forehead, like a baptism.

"I, Conner Macleod, of the Clan Macleod, offer you my fealty as a kinsman, to instruct and shelter you as the blood of my kin, for as long as we both shall live."

Then Conner also marked him with the blood.

"Um. What do I have to do?" Richie asked, when he could find his voice.

"Just say yes." Duncan told him kindly.

"Yes. Oui. Ya. Si .." Richie babbled.

"We get the idea .. laddie." Duncan tousled his hair. Enjoying the look of shocked pleasure that little word put on Richie's face.

"Does this mean that I get to learn how to use a sword?" Richie asked eagerly.

"No!" Duncan and Conner spoke together.

"Jeez." Richie held up his hands. "I was only asking."


	15. Epilogue

AN - This is _not _another chapter! Its an epilogue!

French bits – Au revoir – see you again, non – no (in this context meaning yes!) un cheval – a horse.

***

"You are welcome to stay." Duncan looked at his teacher. "I'm sure you still have a _few more embarrassing stories about me that Richie hasn't heard yet."_

"Its educational." Conner smirked. "The lad needs to know no one is born with four hundred years of experience."

"That's as maybe. But it would help if he still had _some respect for his teacher when the time comes."_

"He's a fine lad Duncan. He'll make your heart glad."

"He already does." Duncan smiled fondly as Richie and Tessa approached.

"Au revoir Conner." Tessa kissed him on the cheek. "You will visit us again soon non?"

"It would be my pleasure dear lady." Conner kissed her hand.

Duncan coughed.

"Alas the Plane won't wait." Conner made a show of reluctantly letting go and stowed his bag in the rental car.

"How exactly do you get a sword though customs?" Richie asked curiously.

"You tell them its an Antique." Duncan told him. "That usually works."

"Duncan." Conner nodded at his kinsman as was their custom.

"Conner."

Then he looked at Richie and the corner of his lips quirked.

"Risteard."

"Conner." Richie blushed.

"You'll have to get the "old man" to bring you to New York." Conner cast a wicked smile at Duncan. "Rachel would love to meet you."

Richie choked back a laugh as he saw Duncan staring daggers at Conner for the jibe.

Then he smiled. A cherubic smile that Duncan had already learnt was truly dangerous. 

"Wow. New York. That would be so cool. What do you say Mac. Can we go stay with Grandpa?"

***

"_That's_ your idea of a few presents?" Duncan made Tessa jump guiltily as she surveyed the packages laid out on their bed.

"They are mostly clothes." Tessa hedged.

"Uh huh." Duncan peered into a package at random, that looked suspiciously like a CD.

"Conner wanted to buy him a horse." Tessa reminded him dryly.

"A lad needs a good horse." Duncan agreed, poking curiously around in the other packages.

"You are not in the Highlands now Duncan Macleod." Tessa shook her head. "What our son needs is .."

"Four pairs of gloves? Tessa no one needs _four pairs of gloves!"_

"It is very cold here in Winter." Tessa sniffed.

"Did you order the cake? Duncan perched on the edge of the bed.

"Double Chocolate Fudge." Tessa nodded. "I hope he will not be too disappointed that it is from the Bakery Store .."

"I think he'll be delighted." Duncan murmured.

"Maybe I should cancel the order. How hard can it be to bake a cake?" Tessa bit her lip.

"Tess." Duncan rolled his eyes.

"I just want everything to be perfect." Tessa worried.

"Then maybe you should let the Store bake the cake?" Duncan raised a brow.

"Oh, you!" Tessa threw a pillow at him.

***

Duncan was still grinning when he wandered back into the Store.

"Maac. Not in the middle of the day." Richie protested.

"I'll have you know I just averted a national disaster." Duncan told him. "Tess wanted to bake your birthday cake."

"There's gonna be cake?" Richie looked pleased.

"What?" Duncan hopped up on the display case beside him. "You thought we'd feed you gruel and snails?"

"With you guys." Richie shook his head. "I have no idea what to expect."

"Well. It might have helped if you had given us a few hints." Duncan nudged him. "Anyone would think you had forgotten all about it."

"I guess I've learnt not to expect too much from Birthdays." Richie admitted. "I mean, its not like I'm a kid anymore."

Silently Duncan blessed every box and package Tessa had amassed.

"You're our kid now." Duncan told him softly. "And don't you forget it."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that." Richie looked awkward. "Am I supposed to like ..call you Dad now or what?" he managed.

"Do you want that?" Duncan asked carefully.

"Well let's see. My real Dad disappeared off to parts unknown. Most of my foster Dad's were little more than the name on the letter that they sent home when I got into trouble at School. Except for .. you know." Richie swallowed. "He had me call him Dad right from day one. He didn't want people thinking he couldn't have a real kid."

"Well you could call me Mr Macleod." Duncan teased.

"Maac!" Richie protested.

"Works for me." Duncan tousled his hair.

***

"I can't believe you are letting me have Chocolate cake for breakfast." Richie took his plate from Tessa.

"We can make it your birthday tradition." Tessa gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, which made him blush.

"It's a great cake Tess." Richie teased.

"Perhaps by next year you can teach me how to make such a thing?" Tessa smiled.

Richie gave her an odd look.

"C'mon Rich. You can rise to the challenge." Duncan encouraged. "How hard can it be?"

"No." Richie shook his head. "Its just .. this time there's really gonna be a next year. In the past I always moved on before that."

"That is what it is." Tessa said firmly. "In the past."

"And right now." Duncan changed the subject. "You have more presents to open."

"You guys already brought me so much, and they even fit and everything." He smiled at Duncan.

"Those were all from Tess." Duncan pointed out.  "And this one is from Conner."

"Conner bought me a present?" Richie looked pleased.

"What can I say? He likes you." Duncan smiled.

It was a pair of trainers. Top of the range and very expensive.

Richie wasn't fooled. "It's a conspiracy." He grinned.

"What?" Duncan tried to look innocent.

"You know what." Richie shook his head. "Just because public transport wasn't invented when you were a kid."

"Running is good for all sorts of things. If you'd just try it - you might like it." Duncan wasn't about to let this lie.

"All sorts of things huh?" Richie smirked.

"And where is this mysterious present of yours?" Tessa intervened.

"Ah." Duncan smiled. "Well. I couldn't exactly wrap it."

***

"Duncan Macleod. If you have bought _un__ cheval I'm going to divorce you." Tessa hissed._

Duncan didn't think this was an opportune moment to point out that they were not actually married.

"Um. Mac. What are we doing out here?" Richie looked at the street in front of the store.

"I couldn't get it up the steps either." Duncan shrugged.

"Do I get a clue?" Richie wondered.

"Would this help?" Duncan offered him a flat silver key ring.

Richie looked at the key ring. Then at the street.

"You couldn't have." he faltered.

"I think I just did." Duncan smirked.

"But I never told you. I didn't say anything." Richie shook his head.

"Richie. You burnt your arm on a manifold, stripping a bike faster than most professional mechanics. The only thing I've ever seen you actually read is motorcycle magazines. You know more trivia about the circuit than anyone I've ever met and you own a crash helmet. The only thing you were missing was the actual bike."

"I guess you noticed, huh?" Richie grinned at him.

"Better get used to it." Duncan tousled his hair.

Richie looked back at the blue and white motorcycle.

"Its really mine?"

"Why don't you go and get your crash helmet and try it out?" Duncan suggested.

"Yeah. Sure. Right." Richie turned towards the Store. Then quickly turned back to give Duncan a blinding smile "Thanks Mac. For everything."

***

"I think I would have preferred the horse." Tessa pursed her lips disapprovingly at the motorcycle.

"It will be fine." Duncan soothed. "We'll have him take a few lessons, teach him to ride like a pro." He smiled proudly.

"It must have been very expensive?" Tessa arched a brow.

"Well. We do have seventeen years of birthdays and Christmases to make up for." Duncan had the grace to look embarrassed.

"And you complained that I was spoiling him." Tessa couldn't hide her smile.

"Hey. I only bought him one present. How many did you buy?"

"Is this what it is to be a family?" Tessa smiled.

"Yes love. I think it is." Duncan smiled as he heard Richie's feet clattering down the stairs.

"Walk!" he yelled.

"Why would I want to walk when I have a bike?" Richie's voice wafted back. "Has anyone seen my jacket?"

"_Tessa?_" Duncan raised a brow.

"It is in the laundry room." She admitted reluctantly. "In the cupboard with the dust rags."

"What's it doing in there?" Richie wondered loudly.

"What indeed?" Duncan smirked.

"Duncan." Tessa looked worried. "What are we going to do about that letter from Child Services?"

With ruthless timing the papers had arrived that morning in respect of Richie's emancipation as a fully fledged adult, enclosing a cheque for his last four weeks in care and a list of half way houses, with such casual finality that Duncan had had to stop an angry Tessa from reaching for the phone to give them a piece of her mind.

"Today. Nothing." Duncan kissed her. "Tomorrow .. we'll see."

"Duncan Macleod. What are you planning?" Tessa regarded him suspiciously.

"You know." Duncan said innocently. "There's no upper age limit for taking out adoption papers."

"I should have known you would not give up so easily. You are almost as stubborn as Richie."

"I want the lad to bear my name." Duncan admitted. "I want him to know how proud I am to have him as my son."

"And you think you can convince Richie of this now?" Tessa asked.

"Oh. I think he'll come around to the idea." Duncan smiled into her hair. "Eventually."

***

That's it folks! The End! Since this is the first thing that I've ever posted, I'd really like to know which bits you like best. Or which bits you hated. The funny bits? The sugary ones? What? And yes – I will get back to The Quickening now!


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